Two people seriously injured after crash on Cuesta Grade

Posted: 4:45 am, February 21, 2019 by News Staff

Photo posted to Twitter by KSBY reporter Dustin Klemann.

–Atascadero resident Shannon Schmidt, 44, was hospitalized with major injuries after a car crash Wednesday afternoon on the Cuesta Grade. Her 9-year-old son was also hospitalized with moderate injuries.

Reports say Schmidt moved into the far right lane to pass a slower vehicle but ended up colliding with the back of a big rig. The big rig was traveling southbound at 35 miles per hour when the SUV slammed into the back of the truck at a significant speed, reports say.

A Santa Maria man was driving the semi-truck. He wasn’t injured.

The crash caused a traffic backup on the Cuesta Grade north of San Luis Obispo Wednesday afternoon.