Driver turns self in, felony threats dropped

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

California Highway Patrol officials say the driver of a vehicle that struck a man on Highway 101 Tuesday night has come forward and will not be charged with felony hit-and-run as was originally thought.
Don Clotworthy said investigators have determined that Yolanda Sertero Julian, 23, struck a male pedestrian just before 8 p.m. in the center lane while traveling about 60 mph in her Toyota Camry. The body of the pedestrian was then struck by several other vehicles, 10 of which have also come forward, he said.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff Coroner said the man who was killed is a 54-year-old transient after uncovering his identity yesterday through fingerprint identification. Clotworthy said the man is a known local transient and sheriff officials are attempting to notify the man’s next of kin before releasing his identity.
At the time of the collision, Clotworthy said authorities were considering it a felony hit-and-run situation.
He said the threat of hit-and-run was rescinded because Julian told investigators she believed she had been struck by an object that had been thrown from the La Cumbre Street overpass.
“Ms. Julian drove to her home in Goleta to speak with her husband,” Clotworthy said. “Approximately one hour after the collision, her husband took her to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment of an eye injury she sustained by the breakage of the Toyota’s windshield glass.”
Clotworthy said hospital personnel contacted the highway patrol, who arrived at the hospital and questioned Julian and her husband.
He said Julian was wearing her seat belt at the time of the collision and had not consumed any alcohol.
Clotworthy said several homeless encampments exist along the Highway 101 corridor between the La Cumbre overpass and Milpas Street, and transients have been struck by vehicles in the past.
Mike Foley, executive director of the Casa Esperanza shelter, said 10 homeless people died on the streets this summer, nine of which were drug or alcohol related.
“When something like this happens and you can pin that the person who was killed was living outside, most of the time that’s related to alcohol or drugs,” Foley said. “The thing that’s so sad about these things is you don’t know whether it’s accidental or whether someone was trying to commit suicide.”
Though Clotworthy noted it’s impossible to know for sure if the man who was struck was residing in one of the encampments, he said many of the homeless who reside there are sometimes under the influence of drugs or alcohol and as a result, lack proper judgment when it comes to wandering onto the freeway.
Clotworthy said pedestrians’ presence on the highway is also dangerous to drivers.
“It’s a complete safety issue for the motoring public,” Clotworthy said. “We’re talking about innocent motorists. No innocent person should have to be subjected to a person running into traffic lanes late at night and be caught off guard. That’s something that’s just not taught in motor training.”
Clotworthy said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should call the Highway Patrol at 967-1234 or 477-4174.