Driver killed in early-morning crash on Hwy 101

DAILY SOUND STAFF REPORT

A 22-year-old West Covina man died early Monday morning after he lost control of his car on Highway 101 north of Goleta, skidding off the roadway into a tree, authorities said.
Just after midnight, witnesses reported seeing a late-model Mini Cooper traveling at speeds topping 100 mph south on Highway 101 near Las Varas Canyon Road, California Highway Patrol Spokesman Sgt. Don Clotworthy said.

“Just south of Las Varas, the driver of the Mini Cooper lost control of the vehicle, which careened out of control off the right side of the roadway and into a ditch where it struck a tree and overturned,” Sgt. Clotworthy said in a press advisory. “The Mini Cooper came to a rest on its side approximately 200 feet off the roadway.”
Emergency crews pronounced the driver dead at the scene. Authorities are not releasing the identity of the man until his next-of-kin is notified. Sgt. Clotworthy said investigators will conduct a routine toxicology exam to determine if alcohol or drugs were involved.