A beloved figure in the Los Angeles classic car community, known for preaching the importance of driving safely on Southern California’s vast network of canyon roads, was killed last month in a head-on collision in Ventura County.
Details remain limited, but officials with the California Highway Patrol said the March 25 crash occurred just before 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of Las Posas and Laguna roads in a rural area of Camarillo.
Doug Baron, 66, a well-known Porsche racer and Malibu resident, was behind the wheel of a classic Porsche when the driver of a Ford Expedition crossed lanes and struck him head-on.
A photo posted online by a friend of Baron showed both vehicles sustained severe damage after the force of the impact sent them into a nearby agricultural field.
Two male drivers were killed in a violent collision along a rural stretch of roadway in Ventura County on March 25, 2026. (Google Maps)
Two male drivers were killed in a violent collision along a rural stretch of roadway in Ventura County on March 25, 2026. (Google Maps)
Along with CHP, crews from the Ventura County Fire Department and Oxnard Fire Department, as well as Gold Coast medical personnel, responded to the scene and worked to extricate both men from their mangled vehicles.
Baron was declared dead at the scene. The other driver, who has not been identified, was rushed to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in critical condition and later died from head trauma, the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office reported.
Investigators with CHP have not yet said whether alcohol and/or drugs may have been a factor in the deadly crash.
An experienced Porsche racer with multiple Porsche Owners Club endurance race titles, Baron competed in the American Le Mans Series GTC class and drove in 24-hour races at Daytona, the Los Angeles Times reported.
A stretch of roadway known as “the Snake” is seen from Sky5. (KTLA)
Longtime friend Gregg Garfield, who described the 66-year-old as “a very respectful driver on the streets” who took all of his aggressive driving to the track, told The Times that Baron’s death on a rural stretch of flat road was “just heartbreaking.”
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In a December interview with the outlet, Baron said one of the things he loved most was taking leisurely drives on canyon roads like the reopened section of Mulholland Drive referred to as “the Snake.”
He used his platform to encourage other car enthusiasts to be respectful of surrounding communities by not revving their engines loudly or doing burnouts, suggesting that they “try to show an element of decorum with this hobby.”
Baron also loved piloting his Cessna and spending time on the beaches of Malibu, where he lived with his family.
He is survived by his wife, Laura, daughters Meg and Sara Baron, Izabella Jimenez and Erica Peixoto, and his son, João Serra.
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