A man was killed Wednesday evening after his vehicle plunged approximately 300 feet down a steep embankment off Figueroa Mountain Road near Santa Ynez, according to officials with the California Highway Patrol and Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
The crash was reported around 4:40 p.m. on December 17, when the San Luis Obispo Communications Center received an iPhone crash notification in the remote area northeast of the Figueroa campground.
Responding officers from the CHP Buellton Area located an overturned Jeep Gladiator off the side of the road. The driver, who was the vehicle’s sole occupant, was trapped inside. According to a press release from CHP Lieutenant Jim Parish, officers and a California State Parks ranger extricated the man and initiated CPR.
Despite life-saving efforts, the driver succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 6 p.m, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department Public Information Officer Captain Scott Safechuck.
Fire crews used a rope rescue system to bring the man’s body back up to the road. The Santa Barbara County Coroner’s Office assumed custody shortly after. Air support was initially requested to assist in the rescue, but the call was canceled due to high winds in the area.
The driver’s identity has not yet been released, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to contact the CHP Buellton Area office at (805) 691-6160.
