Members of the Santa Paula school community rallied around a former elementary school principal who was initially in critical condition after the Dec. 24 crash on Highway 126 east of Fillmore.
The man was identified by the Santa Paula Unified School District as Alfredo Varela, 44, principal of Glen City Elementary Global Steam Academy for two years until June, according to an Instagram post from the district.
“Our sincere prayers are with Mr. Varela, his family and the families of those who tragically lost their lives in the accident,” Chief Jeffrey Weinstein said in the post. He also wished Varela a full recovery.
Varela’s condition was described as stable by hospital officials on Tuesday evening.
He started working for the district in 2017 as a Spanish teacher at Santa Paula High School until he moved into administration. He works as an assistant principal for Lake Elsinore Unified School District, according to his LinkedIn profile and the Lake Elsinore district website.
The two-vehicle collision occurred around 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve after the 2024 Volvo SUV Varela crossed the median and struck a 2019 Lexus that was traveling eastbound, the California Highway Patrol had previously reported.
Varela was flown by helicopter to Ventura County Medical Center, while the other two occupants of the Volvo, a 35-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman, were transported by ambulance to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital with moderate injuries, WKK said.
The crash also killed Santa Paula residents Carlos Otoniel Perez, 39, and Maria Guadalupe Ceja, 31, and one of their dogs. The couple had been together for more than a decade and were loved by their community, said Robert Rey Garcia Jr., owner and principal of Robert Rey Garcia Jr. Funeral Services.
Memorial services for the couple were scheduled to begin Friday in Santa Paula and end Saturday morning with a funeral Mass, according to Garcia and Perez’s obituary.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Former Santa Paula principal injured in crash on Highway 126 receives support
