A wrong-way crash on southbound Highway 101 at Cuesta Grade near San Luis Obispo left one man dead and two other drivers with major injuries late on August 27, 2026. Investigators say a white GMC Canyon pickup driven by David Worthington Ross of Grover Beach was heading south in the northbound lanes when it slammed head-on into a black Dodge Charger. Three additional vehicles then collided with the wreckage, turning the crash into a five-vehicle pileup on the steep grade. The impact killed the Dodge Charger’s 55-year-old right-front passenger, a Grover Beach man, at the scene. Ross and the Dodge Charger’s driver were both taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center with major injuries.
According to Cal Coast News, California Highway Patrol officers arrested Ross at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs. KMPH reported that CHP shut down all southbound lanes of Highway 101 for roughly three hours, reopening the freeway around 2:30 a.m. while crews investigated and cleared the scene. CHP’s San Luis Obispo office, with Officer Chavez handling the investigation, is asking anyone who witnessed the crash to come forward. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and additional charges against Ross could follow.
