On the same day the California Coastal Commission met to discuss limiting Oceano Dunes access to off-road vehicles, a man died in a motorcycle crash at the dunes.
Officials have identified the man who died Thursday as Glendale, Arizona resident Mario Olivas, who was in his upper 40s. The fatal crash marked the fifth death at the Oceano Dunes since April.
At about 6:45 p.m., Olivas was riding his motorcycle at a high rate of speed when he was ejected from the bike in an approximately 40 to 50 foot sand dune bowl. State parks rangers arrived at the scene and found Olivas unconscious and without a pulse.
Responders performed CPR for about 20 minutes. Medics arrived at the scene and pronounced Olivas dead at 7:25 p.m.
Olivas was wearing a helmet, but it was not properly secured, according to state parks. Investigators say neither alcohol nor drugs appear to have been factors in the crash.
The Arizona man was visiting the Oceano Dunes with friends and family. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation into Olivas’s death.