The male motorist who died in a head-on collision in Lompoc, California, has been identified. Updated reports of the car accident released on Wednesday, June 24th, disclosed the victim’s name as Michael Daniel Martinez, 35.      

According to the California Highway Patrol, the collision happened last week Monday, June 15th, at about 12:30 p.m. on Santa Lucia Canyon Road near Vandenberg Air Force base. The events that led to the occurrence began with a man named Michael Culligan, 29, of Lompoc.

Investigators said that the motorist was traveling on Santa Lucia in a Jeep when he suddenly crossed over to the opposite lane. The act placed Culligan directly in front of oncoming traffic, and he collided with a blue Lexus driven by Martinez. The victim died at the scene, and the responding medics pronounced him dead.

A 37-year-old female passenger in the Lexus suffered extensive and severe injuries, and the medics conveyed her to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment. The CHP said that Culligan fled the scene on foot, but they apprehended him soon after at the Lompoc-Surf Train Station.

The man informed the investigators that he was driving under the influence, and they arrested him on multiple charges. The accident remains under investigation.

Under California law, a person who causes the death of another in an accident will face a vehicular manslaughter charge. If the person drove while intoxicated and fled the crash scene afterward, he or she would face additional charges of driving under the influence and hit-and-run.

Disclaimer: The Accident News article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.

The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Accident News’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.

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