Investigation ongoing for fatal crash near Cam High




FATAL—A crash April 16 at Adolfo Road and Mission Oaks Boulevard resulted in the death of a 78-year-old woman. Courtesy of Joel Council

The investigation continues into a fatal traffic collision that claimed the life of a Camarillo woman April 16.

Pilar Pizarro, 78, was riding in the front passenger seat of a minivan shortly after 8 a.m. when it collided with a box truck at Mission Oaks Boulevard and Adolfo Road. The collision occurred just outside Adolfo Camarillo High School. Some students have returned to campus, but the intersection was not as busy with teens walking or riding bikes to school as compared to a typical year.

The crash caused the minivan to hit a street pole, and the vehicle’s airbags deployed. Pizarro was pronounced dead at the scene.

An 85-year-old man driving the minivan was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries he suffered in the crash.

The 27-year-old male driver of the box truck from Oxnard and a 26-year-old male passenger in the box truck were also hospitalized after the collision.

Senior Dep. Shawn Holzberger is the lead traffic investigator for the Camarillo Police Department and said it’s always a difficult task to investigate fatal crashes.

“They’re tragic situations all around,” he said. “It’s a tragedy for the families for obvious reasons, and all parties involved. You do have some empathy for all sides in this.”

So far, the investigation has revealed the minivan was heading south on Mission Oaks Boulevard and the box truck was traveling east on Adolfo Road when they collided.

The intersection has traffic signals, but investigators have not revealed which vehicle had the right of way when they crashed. Investigators say it does not appear that either vehicle was attempting to turn left at the intersection.

No arrests have been made, but that could change depending on the outcome of the investigation, which could take months to complete. There are no indications so far that alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash.

Holzberger said the tragedy is a reminder for all drivers to exercise caution on the roads.

“What’s happened with the pandemic is we’ve seen a decrease in traffic over the last year, and now that everything is slowly opening back up, we’re seeing an increase in traffic,” the deputy said. “So I think people just need to remember the basics. You know, take your time, slow down and just be aware of any hazards approaching you.”

Anyone with information on the crash is encouraged to call Holzberger at (805) 388-5146.