highway 129 old chittenden road fatal crash california highway patrol
Photo: Tarmo Hannula

Emergency officials deal with a two-vehicle crash on Highway 129 at Old Chittenden Road Wednesday afternoon. California Highway Patrol officer Stephen Armfield said the male driver of a Honda Ridgeline pickup was traveling east on Highway 129 at 3:45pm near the San Benito/Santa Cruz county line when he drifted over the double yellow line and smashed head-on into a westbound Chevy Silverado pickup towing a 30-foot travel camper. One man in the Honda died at the scene, and eight other people were hurt, Armfield said. The incident is still under investigation. It was not clear if alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash. Highway 129 was closed in the area for about three hours.

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Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.