Malibu resident, Porsche racer and member of the Los Angeles classic car community Doug Barron died in a car accident in Camarillo on March 25. He was 66 years old.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Barron was driving a Porsche coupe on Las Posas Road around 1 p.m. when a driver of a Ford Expedition crossed into his lane and collided with Barron’s vehicle.
According to the Ventura County Medical Examiner, Barron died at the scene from blunt force injuries, and the other driver died at the hospital from head injuries. According to the CHP, it is unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
Barron was known for his skillful driving on the racetrack and his love of traveling on steep valley roads. His sudden death has left his family and fellow car enthusiasts devastated.
His longtime friend Greg Garfield said, “He was a very respected driver on the streets and did all his aggressive driving on the racetrack.” The fact that he died on a flat road in a rural area is “heartbreaking.”
Doug Barron stands along the Mulholland Highway in December.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Baron was an experienced Porsche racer. He competed in the American Le Mans Series GTC class, competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona race, and won several Porsche Owners Club endurance races.
But as much as he enjoyed pushing the envelope at the track, his greatest passion was taking his retrofitted classic cars at a leisurely pace in the Santa Monica Mountains.
“It’s so gratifying, so tactile, it clears my head and rejuvenates my soul,” he told The Times in December, as he described the feeling of driving along the recently reopened section of the Mulholland Highway known as the Snake.
When the reopening sparked a backlash from nearby residents over fast and dangerous driving, Barron used his platform in the car community to urge enthusiasts to drive safely and listen to residents’ concerns.
“Let’s respect the people who live in those communities – don’t rev your engines, don’t do burnouts, try to show an element of decency with this hobby,” he told The Times.
Fellow car enthusiast Ivan Sawyer said that Barron admired the beauty of the canyon roads and found peace in driving serenely on them.
Sawyer said, “Anyone who really knew him thought he was a very magical person, very humble, very strong, very determined, but also very kind.”
Sawyer said Barron always preached to Canyon drivers about the importance of staying on the right side of the road — which makes it even more tragic that he was killed by a driver who went into the wrong lane.
Lauren Beggs, one of Barron’s oldest friends, recalled meeting him at Portland International Raceway in the 1990s.
Beggs, owner of a Porsche repair company, immediately parted ways with Baron and the pair went on to compete together in the American Le Mans Series in 2010. Baron, who was passionate about restoring Porsche street and racing cars, was a frequent customer at Beggs’ repair shop for years.
“He definitely had an addiction to cracking cars with Porsche stuff,” Beggs recalled, laughing.
Professional American racer Patrick Long, one of 18 Porsche factory racing drivers worldwide, described Barron as “exactly the type of ambassador that the Porsche community needs.”
“The brand can sometimes feel a little exclusive, but when you meet people like Doug, you realize it’s a family,” he said. “It’s a very welcoming environment and community.”
Garfield, a close friend of Barron’s, described him as “larger than life” and “with the biggest heart of gold” and that he was deeply devoted to his family.
Garfield said he was grateful to Barron for helping him go to the hospital after Garfield fell ill while returning from a ski trip in Italy in February 2020. Garfield spent 31 days on a ventilator and 64 days in the hospital recovering from COVID-19 at Providence St. John’s Hospital, where he was. Known as “Patient Zero”.
He credits the Baron’s tough love with saving his life.
“My biggest regret is that I couldn’t be there to save him,” Garfield said. “It’s really a sad situation.”
Barron had a reputation for living life to the max, Beggs said, and when he wasn’t enjoying his cars, he could often be found skiing in Mammoth, flying Cessnas or enjoying Malibu beaches.
He is survived by his wife Laura Barron, his daughters Meg Barron, Sara Barron, Izabela Jimenez and Erica Peixoto, and his son João Serra.
car enthusiast Plan to gather to honor Baron Supercar Sunday from 7 to 10 a.m. Sunday at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.
