A former Santa Barbara Community College student driving a motor vehicle collided with a bicyclist — a first year pre-biology major at UC Santa Barbara — at the intersection of Los Carneros Road and El Colegio Road on Monday at approximately 8:15 p.m.
The driver, Jonathan Phanthawong, was charged with two felony counts of driving under the influence, with his bail set at $100,000, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office arrest logs. Phanthawong was arrested by California Highway Patrol (CHP) at 8:56 p.m. on Feb. 27 and booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail at 11:46 p.m. that night.
The bicyclist, Kumiko Quinlivan, was attempting to cross the intersection from the north side of El Colegio Road, heading westbound, when the collision occurred, Santa Barbara CHP Public Information Officer Jonathan Gutierrez told the Nexus. The bicyclist traveled down a section of the intersection without a marked bike crossing, instead of taking the designated bike lane parallel to Los Carneros Road or the designated bike line on El Colegio Road, with the driver also driving on El Colegio Road.
The driver hit the bicyclist as the vehicle took a right turn onto Los Carneros Road during a green light, according to Gutierrez.
Phanthawong was accompanied by two passengers at the time of the collision. There were no reported injuries to the individuals in the vehicle, Gutierrez said.
Quinlivan was taken in by American Medical Response with scrapes and bruises on the legs and left elbow. CHP was unable to confirm the medical status of the student but said they likely were discharged with minor injuries.
A version of this article appeared on p. 4 of the March 2, 2023, print edition of the Daily Nexus.
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