4 Killed When Plane Crashes on San Luis Obispo Highway
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SAN LUIS OBISPO — A single-engine plane crashed Sunday on U.S. 101, killing all four occupants and knocking out power to 11,000 people in the area.
Motorists called 911 from cellular phones just after 12:06 a.m. to report a flash of light from the plane’s collision with power lines, said California Highway Patrol dispatcher Jenny Keith.
Debris from the plane hit a pickup truck, but its occupant was not injured, Keith said. No other vehicles were hit.
The Piper Cherokee Arrow went down shortly after takeoff from San Luis Obispo County Airport, according to Jerry Acosta, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.
The four victims, all from Utah, were identified as pilot Derrick Todd, 21, of Provo; Lyman Gregory, 23, of Orem; Daniel Todd, 32, of Salem, and Ann Jeanette Marion, 23, of Blanding. The four reportedly had visited family members and were on their way back to Utah.
Some witnesses said the pilot appeared to be trying to land on the freeway when the crash occurred, FAA spokesman Larry Berg said, but that could not immediately be confirmed.
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