Coroner IDs Child Killed In Hwy 1 Crash

A 12-year-old Aptos girl killed in a five-car collision on state Highway 1 in Santa Cruz on Saturday was identified Monday as Collette Lazenby, according to the Santa Cruz County coroner’s office.

Collette was in a 2003 Toyota Prius driven by her mother, who suffered injuries from the accident that were not considered life-threatening, California Highway Patrol Officer Trista Sharp said.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday, a 34-year-old San Jose man was driving a 2004 Ford E-350 van on southbound Highway 1 south of La Fonda Avenue, where he struck the back of the Toyota, CHP officials said.

• Previous: Aptos Girl, 12, Died In 5-Car Crash on Highway 1

The initial collision caused a chain reaction in which the Toyota struck the rear of a 2015 Chrysler 200, which hit the back of a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, which pushed into a Volvo V70, according to the CHP.

Collette’s mother, a 40-year-old Aptos woman, was airlifted to Natividad Medical Center and was in stable condition as of today, according to Sharp.

Collette was a rear passenger in the Toyota and pronounced dead at the scene, CHP officials said.

A 32-year-old man driving the Chrysler and his passenger, a 36-year-old woman, suffered minor to moderate injuries but did not need to be hospitalized, according to the CHP.

Investigators do not suspect alcohol or drugs were a factor in the collision, CHP officials said.

--Bay City News