ALTADENA — A Santa Barbara woman died and three other residents of the city were injured, including a 1-year-old, when their pickup flew 250 feet off a Big Tujunga Canyon cliff, prompting a six-hour closure of the road.
A passenger, 46-year-old Dolores Palmerin, died at the scene of blunt force injuries considered accidental, according to Lt. David Smith of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
The crash occurred on Big Tujunga Canyon Road in the Angeles National Forest north of Altadena at 6:45 p.m. Friday, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Firefighters at the scene treated two injured adults and a female toddler before the victims were airlifted by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopter to County-USC Medical Center.
The CHP was investigating why the 2000 Nissan Frontier veered to the right over the dirt embankment and rolled down the mountainside.
According to the CHP, the 27-year-old woman at the wheel suffered a laceration to her left hand, a 56-year-old woman suffered a seatbelt abrasion to her neck, and a 1-year-old girl — apparently related to the driver — was uninjured. Seatbelts and child safety equipment were in use.
A SigAlert that was issued shortly after the crash was canceled about 12:45 a.m. Saturday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
