1 killed, 3 injured in crash that shut down Highway 1

A Turlock woman was killed in a car pileup on Highway 1 just south of Morro Bay on Saturday evening.

According to the California Highway Patrol, John Ruxton Carroll Jr., 71, of Turlock, was driving on northbound Highway 1 around 6:20 p.m. when he stopped in the left turn lane at San Luisito Creek Road.

Meanwhile, Paul Daniel Gendron, 50, of Visalia, was driving at the speed limit southbound on the highway approaching the intersection.

When Carroll made a left turn, the front of Gendron’s vehicle hit the right side of his car, CHP said. The car directly behind Gendron — driven by Vivian Young Gong, 66, of Morro Bay — then hit Gendron’s vehicle.

All parties in the collision were transported to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center with major injuries.

A passenger in Carroll’s vehicle, who has not been identified, died from her injuries at the hospital, according to CHP.

The crash shut down southbound lanes of the highway for several hours, but as of late Saturday evening, traffic is once again moving smoothly through the area.