A man who ended up in police custody this week after fleeing the scene of a two-vehicle crash in Lompoc, California, would need the services of a top accident lawyer. The California Highway Patrol officers arrested the suspect on Tuesday afternoon, June 16, several hours after the accident.

The occurrence played out at about 12:30 p.m. on Santa Lucia Canyon Road, near the Lompoc Federal Prison complex on Vandenberg Air Force Base Property. A CHP spokesperson, Officer Kelly Valdez, confirmed that two people ended up severely injured in the crash. One of the victims eventually died from injuries sustained.

The incident began when a Jeep SUV traveling southbound on Santa Lucia Canyon Road suddenly crossed the double yellow lines into northbound traffic. It veered into the path of an oncoming blue Lexus sedan traveling on the north traffic lanes, causing a collision between the two cars.

Two people in the Lexus suffered severe injuries. The Lexus driver, identified only as a 36-year-old male from Santa Maria, died at the scene. A 38-year-old female passenger got airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in critical condition.

The operator of the Jeep, identified as Michael Culligan, 29, of Lompoc exited from his vehicle and fled the crash site on foot before officers arrived. The CHP, Lompoc Police Department, and Vandenberg officials commenced a search for the suspect shortly after responding to the crash. The incident reports showed that a CHP helicopter and K-9 unit were involved in the search operation.

Officers located Culligan in the nearby bushes about three hours after the collision and apprehended him. A registration check confirmed that the Jeep he was driving was reported stolen earlier from Lompoc.

In addition to vehicular theft, Culligan faces several charges stemming from the crash and therefore needs the services of a top accident lawyer.

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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