Just after 2 p.m. Monday — on a rain-soaked President’s Day afternoon — a pickup truck veered off southbound Highway 101 and crashed into a concrete overpass support pillar near the Patterson Avenue off-ramp in Goleta, sending two adults and two children to the hospital.
“The truck apparently lost control, went off the freeway, [and] ended up going straight into that concrete highway support for Highway 217,” said Mike Gray, public information officer for Santa Barbara County Fire.
Firefighters worked quickly to remove the four occupants from the wreckage. According to the California Highway Patrol, the female driver of the truck sustained major injuries, an adult male passenger sustained moderate injuries, one boy sustained moderate injuries, and one girl remains in critical condition. All four were transported by ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. As of Tuesday morning, no additional details had been released about the victims or their current conditions.
The crash occurred on the southbound Patterson Avenue off-ramp, which remained closed Monday afternoon while CHP conducted its investigation. Motorists were advised to expect delays and use alternate routes.
While its investigation into the crash remains ongoing, CHP does not suspect drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision. The vehicle was towed for evidence.
Officials have not confirmed if weather played a role in the collision. Monday’s steady rainfall left roads wet throughout the county — conditions that can reduce traction, particularly on freeway off-ramps where vehicles decelerate and curves tighten.
