Man Dies After Being Struck by Multiple Cars on Santa Barbara 101

A man was killed after being struck by multiple cars when he tried to walk across Highway 101 near the Milpas Street off-ramp in Santa Barbara on Tuesday evening. The California Highway Patrol reported that the victim had walked onto the 101 near the Milpas off-ramp on the mountain side of the highway and was hit when attempting to cross the southbound lanes. The man’s identity will be released once his next-of-kin are contacted.

The first driver to strike the man told the investigating officer that the man suddenly walked in front of her car, which was headed southbound, from the fast lane to her left. She braked but was unable to avoid hitting him. He rolled over the bumper, hood, windshield, and top of her sedan and landed in the fast lane.

A second sedan was in the fast lane as the victim landed, and the car hit him with the right front tire. The driver of the third vehicle, a GMC truck, said he saw the man and tried to swerve, but struck him, too.

The fast and middle lanes of the highway were shut down for a time during the evening rush hour. The victim died at the scene. An investigation is ongoing, and it is unknown if the man walked onto the highway at the median or if he managed to cross the northbound lanes as well. The CHP requests that anyone with knowledge of the collision contact Officer D. Hubbard at the Santa Barbara office, (805) 967-1234.

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