A woman died March 12 in Thousand Oaks after the car she was riding in veered from the 101 Freeway and crashed.

Elisa Laura Failauga, 22, of Oxnard was a passenger in a 1991 Toyota Roadrunner driven by 20-year-old Desirie Osuna, also of Oxnard, that abruptly swerved to the right for unknown reasons and left the freeway, hit a tree and flipped over, ending up on its roof, said California Highway Patrol Officer Leland Tang.

Although the accident is still under investigation, the CHP thinks the women were traveling home from the Hollywood area and going northbound at about 60 mph on the 101 Freeway just south of Westlake Boulevard when their SUV left the road in a single-vehicle incident, Tang said. The crash occurred around 5:30 a.m.

Osuna sustained moderate injuries and was transported to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center. She was arrested later that day on suspicion of driving under the influence.

An autopsy determined Failauga died from blunt-force head injuries, said Ventura County chief deputy medical examiner James Baroni.

The right side of the vehicle was damaged extensively when it broadsided the tree. Both women were wearing seat belts.

According to Ventura County Superior Court public records, Osuna was cited for speeding in both 2006 and 2007.

—Nancy Needham