An early evening two-car crash on South Higuera, north of the Prado intersection, killed a 16-year-old girl yesterday.
The girl, identified as Rita Marie Goehner of San Luis Obispo, was the driver of a 2005 silver Pontiac that crossed over to the southbound lanes and collided with a green 1996 Chrysler solely occupied by 19-year-old Laura Ashley Estrada, said police.
An off-duty firefighter and a Cuesta College student were first at the scene and pried the door of the Pontiac open to assist Goehner, who was unconscious and not breathing at the time, said a witness. When emergency pesonnel arrived, Goehner was rushed to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. She was pronounced dead at 10:45 p.m. Sunday.
Estrada, a Grover Beach resident, had to be extracated from her vehicle by San Luis Obispo firefighters. She was treated and released from French Hospital Medical Center for a broken leg.
Neither Goehner or Estrada are students at Cal Poly. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor.