Full Notification

The Santa Barbara Police Department’s Traffic Unit is currently investigating a fatal traffic collision that occurred on November 23, 2015 near the intersection of Anacapa Street and Sola Street. The decedent is Ratan Bahadur Lamichhane, age 66, from Michigan.

On November 23, 2015 at 6:37 p.m., officers from the Santa Barbara Police Department responded to the intersection of Anacapa Street and Sola Street on a call of an injury traffic collision involving an MTD shuttle and a pedestrian. The pedestrian, Lamichhane, sustained a head injury from the collision and was transported by paramedics to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where he later died.

Thus far, investigation indicates that just prior to the collision Lamichhane had been walking with two family members northbound on the east sidewalk of the 1300 block of Anacapa Street, approaching the intersection with Sola Street, while the MTD shuttle was travelling southbound in the #2 (west) lane of Anacapa Street. Just prior to reaching the intersection Lamichhane ran westbound across the roadway in close proximity to the approaching MTD shuttle. The shuttle driver braked in an attempt to avoid a collision, however Lamichhane was struck and knocked to the ground. At this time neither drugs nor alcohol appear to have played a role in this collision.

This investigation is still ongoing.