Santa Paula man killed in solo Highway 126 crash

A 43-year-old area man was killed early Wednesday morning on Highway 126 just west of the Los Angeles County line in an accident still being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.According to the CHP, Pedro Alfaro, of Santa Paula, was driving a pickup truck carrying produce eastbound on the Highway 126 at about 3:45 a.m. Alfaro’s vehicle was about four miles east of Piru when, for unknown reasons, the truck drifted toward the right. Alfaro swerved to the left and crossed into the westbound lanes, but the truck overturned and spilled its load. Authorities said Alfaro was declared dead at the scene about 4:15 a.m.Information was not yet available at press time on whether or not Alfaro was wearing a belt safety device at the time of the mishap. Both westbound lanes and one eastbound lane of Highway 126 were closed for about two hours while the crash was being investigated.Alfaro’s death was the fourth traffic fatality reported in Ventura County since Monday evening.On Monday night a 23-year-old Thousand Oaks woman and 26-year-old Newbury Park man died when a vehicle they were passengers in failed to negotiate a turn, crashing into several pieces of construction equipment on Potrero Road near Newbury Park, officials said. The driver of the vehicle survived, as did a third passenger; the driver was arrested of suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.Another person was killed Tuesday after a vehicle traveling along northbound Highway 101 north of Ventura went off the roadway and down a 60-foot embankment.