Vehicle catches fire in orchard after going off Highway 126

A vehicle ran off Highway 126 east of Ventura Monday night, landing in an orchard and catching fire, according to California Highway Patrol and Ventura County Fire Department reports.

The incident was reported around 7:40 p.m. on the westbound 126, east of Wells Road, between Ventura and Santa Paula. The vehicle, described as a white sedan, ended up about 100 feet off the roadway with major rollover damage, according to CHP reports.

Firefighters had pulled a male driver from the car with what appeared to be minor injuries, radio traffic from the scene indicated. Shortly before 8 p.m. they extricated a female passenger with injuries that appeared moderate to severe. The two patients were reportedly transported by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center.

More news:Simi Valley police switch to encrypted radio communication, citing legal mandate

A third person may have been injured as well. Crews launched a grid-pattern search to try to find the missing party. They requested a Ventura County Sheriff's helicopter to assist with the search effort. As of 8:30 p.m. the search was ongon

No other details were immediately available.

Gretchen Wenner covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at gretchen.wenner@vcstar.com or 805-437-0270.

Local coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.