Motorist Survives Summerland Cliff Crash

One woman sustained what California Highway Patrol officials described as major injuries after a one-car crash off Highway 101 on Saturday evening just before six o’clock. The woman, whose personal information has not yet been released, was transported to Cottage Hospital for treatment. Although not much information was available from CHP, Jim Russell, who had been at UCSB refereeing a volleyball tournament, observed the accident taking place. He reported seeing the car veer suddenly to the right at the bend on the southbound lanes between Summerland and Montecito, with the car plunging from the cliff. Russell then got out of his car to survey the wreck from the cliff’s edge, noting the destroyed car below and a body lying on the railroad tracks next to it. Several other motorists stopped, he said, and began taking pictures of the wreckage with cell phone cameras. Russell-who said he could not get to the accident victim because of the steepness of the cliff-did not have a cell phone, but called CHP when he arrived at his destination. “It really shocked me how people were taking pictures of the body on the tracks and then just getting in their cars and driving away,” he said.