Motorist, 72, dies in car accident

An elderly driver died in a car accident Thurs. morning, March 9, on Newbury Road, east of E. Kelley Road in Newbury Park.

Otis Shephard, 72, of Moorpark lost control of his vehicle, a Datsun 280 ZX, hit a chain-link fence at a construction site, then struck construction worker Hector Gonzalez, 39, before stopping near the sidewalk on the south side of Newbury Road. An autopsy conducted on Shephard indicated that he died from a heart attack, resulting in the crash, according to Senior Deputy Rick Godfrey of the T.O. Police Department.

Gonzalez sustained serious injuries and was transported to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center. As of yesterday he was stable and in fair condition, according to hospital spokeswoman Kris Carraway-Bowman.

--Sophia Fischer