Housing and Development Newsletter
Ruiz’s death was the first fatality at the Oceano Dunes since the popular off-roading park near Pismo Beach reopened following a lengthy coronavirus-related closure.
The Oceano Dunes had been closed to vehicle use from March 2020 to October, when the park opened to 1,000 street-legal cars on the beach per day.
Then, in February, the park further reopened to allow 1,000 off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and 1,000 street-legal cars on the dunes per day. The park also opened 100 overnight camping spots.
The Oceano Dunes entered its final reopening phase on June 15.
Before Ruiz’s death, the most recent death at the dunes occured on July 13, 2019, when 18-year-old Sacramento teen Alan Chernitskiy went off a 30-foot dune and fell off the bike he was riding.
Santa Maria man identified as person killed in Oceano Dunes crash
KSBY
and last updated 2021-06-28 17:47:23-04
The passenger killed in a crash over the weekend at the Oceano Dunes has been identified as Alejandro Espinoza Ruiz, 32, of Santa Maria.
State Parks says Ruiz was one of three men involved in the recreational off-highway vehicle (ROV) crash that happened Saturday around 12:15 p.m. in an approximately 20-foot dune in the area of Sand Highway 22.
One of the men was taken to the hospital by helicopter and the other by ambulance.
No information on the cause of the crash has been released.
Santa Maria man identified as person killed in off-roading crash at Oceano Dunes
OCEANO, Calif. - A Santa Maria man has been identified as the person killed in an off-roading vehicle crash at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Saturday.
The California State Parks Department identified the man as Alejandro Espinoza Ruiz, 32, of Santa Maria.
The crash happened around 12:15 p.m. in an area of the park known as Sand Highway 22. CAL FIRE crews responded and found three men in their 30s at the bottom of a roughly 20-foot dune.
Ruiz was found dead at the scene of the crash and two other men were injured. One of the men was airlifted by helicopter to the hospital while the other was transported by ground ambulance.
One man killed, two others injured in ATV crash at the Oceano Dunes
KSBY
and last updated 2021-06-26 18:53:52-04
UPDATE (3:48 p.m.) - CA State Park rangers as well as CAL FIRE SLO officials responded to the off-highway vehicle (OHV) crash.
Park rangers said the crash happened in an approximately twenty foot dune near the area of Sand Highway 22.
Rangers said three men, all approximately 30 years of age, were involved in the crash.
One was pronounced dead on scene, the other two were transported to area hospitals.
The OHV was privately owned, according to officials.
The crash is still under investigation.
California State Parks reported that one man was killed and two others were injured in a crash at the Oceano Dunes involving a Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle (ROV) on Saturday.