Edhat Staff
Photos: Mike Eliason / SBCFD
By edhat staff
A 21-year-old male was injured after his vehicle crashed into a tree off Highway 101 near El Sueno Road Tuesday afternoon.
Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to the northbound lanes around 12:40 p.m.
It took firefighters approximately 10 minutes to extricate the driver from the damaged vehicle. The driver was then transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital via ground ambulance with moderate injuries.
California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.
Why is he covered in white paint?
@2:01 it sure does look like paint but I’m wondering if it could be the powder from the airbag?
I see that, super weird hope he’s ok
I drove by this. I’m surprised it wasn’t a fatality. The whole driver’s side was smashed in.
Maybe it was a fire retardant.
Hope this young man fully recovers. That “jaws of life” the firemen use to get people out trapped in their car was/is made by a company called Hearst. When it was 1st used there wasn’t one on every truck so if the firemen needed it they would call the station for the Hearst to be sent. However, sometimes a hearse showed up. Jaws of life became the name to eliminate the confusion.
Not sure, maybe edhat could post some smaller pictures
I have to share a story of an unsung hero here: I stopped at the Stop & Shop liquor store which is right at the El Sueño exit, right after the accident happened. I asked the young man who was working the counter, “Did you hear the crash?” It was then i noticed that he was covered with white paint, i thought he’d been painting a part of the store, and he said “Yes, i ran over there when the crash happened. None of the bystanders would open the car door, so i grabbed the door handle and pried it open. Did you know that when an airbag deploys, it releases a white paint to prevent a hit & run suspect from evading law enforcement?” and i told him that no, i didn’t know that, and i thanked him for leaving his store to help an accident victim. If anyone from the law enforcement or city community is listening, this young man (who was working at Stop & Shop on 8/19) should be given a medal, or at least a new track suit, as his was ruined by the airbag paint, although he didn’t seem concerned with it at all. Maybe we can all stop by Stop & Shop at the El Sueño exit and say thanks? Young 21-ish guy with Elvis-style hairdo. Give him some love!!!
Not sure, but a guy who first-responded told me that airbags emit a white paint?
This hero first-responder liquor store kid (i WISH i got his name!) said that the driver applied his brakes too quickly and went into a skid he couldn’t get out of. Let me say, from experience, remember this, it could save your life: If your car ever goes into a skid with brakes locked up, TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE!! It seems counter-intuitive, you want to push that brake pedal down to stop yourself, but take your foot off, then gain control of your car, trust me. Parents with kids who drive, remind them of this rule. You CAN NOT control a car with locked brakes, but you CAN control a car when you take your foot off the brake. Tell everyone you love, it could save their life like it did mine.
My post said in error 8/19 but it was indeed today, 8/20.
I retract my comment about the paint. It’s just what the guy who first responded to the accident told me. Didn’t seem logical to me either, so sorry for the mis-information, but he definitely had paint on him. Regardless, the source of the paint is not really relevant here.
Hurst Tool not “Hearse”…
COASTWATCH, The whole point is the Hurst tool, when asked for, sounded like hearse so that is often what was sent, a hearse instead of the Hurst. Hence, the tool was renamed Jaws of Life to eliminate the confusion..