The Highway Patrol has identified the victim in a single vehicle accident on Hwy 41 who died in the thus far unexplained crash.
According to CHP Lt. Darren Gennusa, at about 10:08 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 officers were dispatched to a report of a single vehicle crash on Hwy 41 at Rocky Canyon Road. That location is east of the Atascadero City Limits.
Arriving officers determined that a 42-year-old woman from Ceres, Calif., identified as Jenny Ritter, was driving a black, 2008 Mercedes ML500 southbound at an unknown speed.
“For unknown reasons,” Lt. Gennusa said, “Ms. Ritter allowed the Mercedes to travel from the southbound lane across the roadway and down a dirt/grass embankment, where it subsequently crashed into a concrete drainage wall.”
Ritter and her female passenger had to be extricated from the vehicle by responding fire fighters and were transported to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo.
The passenger, later identified as Ruby Arballo, 42 of Fresno, died at the hospital from her injuries. The extent of Ritter’s injuries were not reported by the CHP but she survived the crash.
“Alcohol and/or drugs were not suspected to have been a factor in this crash,” Lt. Gennusa said. The CHP in Templeton continues to investigate the cause of the crash.
