Truck Flies off Cliff into Ocean
Was Speeding Above 100 MPH on Highway 101 in Heavy Rain
A pickup truck traveling southbound on Highway 101 south of Refugio Road — clocking speeds above 100 mph in heavy rain — lost control at around 8:15 p.m. Friday on the road’s right shoulder and, after clearing an embankment, the railroad tracks, and a bicycle path, flew 250 feet off a cliff and into the ocean.
The Nissan Frontier landed on its roof, and its back end submerged. The driver’s left arm was nearly amputated in the crash, and he or she suffered internal injuries. The passenger sustained major injuries to the head and face. Neither has been identified.
Both the driver and the passenger were extracted from the truck, carried up the cliff, and transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. “Both the driver and the passenger were wearing their seat belts which clearly prevented them from being ejected and receiving fatal injuries in this collision,” said a CHP spokesperson in a prepared statement.
