2 DIE IN HOLIDAY ACCIDENTS AROUND VENTURA COUNTY; SMALL PLANE CRASHES NEAR RIVER.

Byline: Douglas Clark Daily News Staff Writer

An auto collision that killed a Castaic woman and the crash of a small aircraft near the Santa Paula River marred an otherwise quiet Independence Day, police said.

Also Friday, a man drowned in Lake Piru. Ventura County Sheriff's Department dive team members recovered the body at about 4 p.m.

The identity of the victim was not immediately available.

Meanwhile, a 3-year-old boy was injured near Rincon Beach Park when he ran in front of a motor home, officials said.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Jennifer Hutton, 22, of Castaic died when her car collided head-on with a motor home near Fillmore.

Hutton was traveling east on Highway 126 near Timber Canyon Road at about 3 p.m. when her vehicle drifted across the center of the highway into the westbound lane, authorities said.

Her car was cut in half by the impact with the motor home, driven by Paul Chapman, 46, of Port Hueneme, authorities reported.

Hutton was taken by helicopter to the Ventura County Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Chapman, who had minor injuries, was airlifted to Santa Paula Hospital, officials said.

The accident clogged traffic on 126 for nearly three hours as authorities continued their investigation.

The Sheriff's Department was investigating the crash of a small aircraft that went down at about 12:45 p.m. on the bank of the Santa Paula River's south end.

Will Morter, an employee of the Santa Paula Airport, said the plane crashed east of the 12th Street Bridge and was seen on the bank of the river, which at this time of the year is shallow and about 50 feet wide, he noted.

Morter added that local pilots who flew over the crash site believe the plane was a Cessna 140, which is a single-engine aircraft with a tail wheel. Since pilots didn't recognize the plane, they believe the pilot, who was seen walking on the bank, is not a local resident.

The pilot was airlifted to the Ventura County Medical Center, where his injuries were being evaluated, said the nursing supervisor, who declined to release the pilot's name.

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to investigate the accident.

A year ago, two people died while trying to land a small, World War II-era plane at Santa Paula Airport, which runs parallel to the river. While making a final approach to the airport, the plane's engine failed and the aircraft plunged about 400 feet into an empty field.

In 1995, a veteran aerobatic performer and former Navy fighter pilot was killed when his experimental aircraft crashed in front of thousands of spectators.

In 1994, a pilot and his 10-year-old daughter died when their plane crashed shortly after taking off in foggy conditions.

The condition of Austin Walgraeve, 3, was listed as guarded Friday at the Ventura County Medical Center, where he was airlifted after being hit by a motor home, officials said.

The boy was playing at Rincon Beach Park, where his family was camping, at about 9:25 a.m. when he suddenly ran east across Old Rincon Highway, near Faria Road. He was hit by a recreational vehicle driven by a 71-year-old Carpinteria man, who was traveling south at about 40 mph, officials said.