Edhat Staff
Update by the edhat staff
At 2:50 p.m., Caltrans reopened the number one (fast lane) of Highway 101 southbound.
Caltrans states the number two (right) lane will remain closed for guardrail repair. There is no estimate when the right lane will re-open.
Highway 101 south at the Highway 1 interchange has shut down due to a fatal traffic collision early Friday morning.
At 2:50 a.m., Santa Barbara County Firefighters and California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to the area just north of Dos Pueblos on the Gaviota Coast.
Crews discovered a pickup truck and semi-truck collided. The pickup truck caught fire and the male driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the semi-truck sustained minor injuries and refused emergency transport to the hospital.
CHP reports Highway 101 southbound is closed at Highway 1. SR-154 is the alternate route as Highway 101 south will be closed for an unknown duration.
The northbound lanes of Highway 101 remain open in the area.
The cause of the collision is under investigation by the CHP.
Pickup Truck vs Semi Truck: HWY 101 SB, Just North/Dos Pueblos, Gaviota Coast. Pickup truck(Caught fire)-male driver pronounced deceased at the scene. Semi truck- male driver w/minor injuries refused transport to ER. SB HWY shut down see CHP for cause and reopening. CT 2:50am pic.twitter.com/nJEi4yDWkc
— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) January 5, 2024
this is awful but why in the world was the highway shut down for so long? I understand there is an investigation and that someone died but response and investigation took way too long
Drove by heading north this morning and it was a pretty horrific scene. The debris field was quite extensive and there had been oil spilled. Then, a truck tried to make a U-Turn in the green median and got stuck before he cleared the road. They had to tow him as well. Maybe, given the circumstances they did the best they could.
“Caltrans initially thought a lane would reopen around 1 p.m. Friday, but representatives later said “work is continuing to remove the big-rig truck” from the lanes, where it overturned.” noozhawk
You could ask the tow company.
Any news or updates about what happened or the condition of the other driver, or any statements from him, or any information that might bring some type of closure to this tragic case?? 🥺🤚😞😞😭🥺💔❤️🩹😞
The Tacoma was going north in the south-bound lane, enough said.
“The California Highway Patrol confirmed to KEYT that the driver of the Tacoma pickup was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes before 2:45 a.m. when he collided with the semi.”
https://keyt.com/news/2024/01/05/one-dead-in-truck-versus-semi-crash-on-highway-101-north-of-goleta/