101 Backup In Carpinteria
updated: Mar 07, 2013, 3:55 PM

Source: CHP

An unlicensed driver collides into a fuel tanker truck resulting in a four vehicle collision. The collision forced the closure of one northbound lane of US-101 in Carpinteria for over an hour. Minor injuries were also reported.

Investigating Officer: J. Mann, #14690

At approximately 8:40 am today, a 45 year old, unlicensed, Carpinteria woman was entering US-101 northbound on the Santa Monica Road onramp. Due to her unsafe speed for the wet roadway conditions, the woman lost control of her vehicle and allowed it to enter the northbound lanes of traffic, directly in the path of a big rig tanker truck hauling jet fuel. The truck's driver was unable to avoid a collision with the woman's vehicle. The collision caused the tanker to move left, where it collided into two additional vehicles that were traveling in the #1 lane. As the tanker continued, it became entwined with one of the vehicles, drove off the roadway edge into the center divider, and came to a stop still partially in the #1 lane, pinning a sedan against the metal guardrail as it did.

Only minor injuries were reported from this collision. The collision did not cause any intrusion into the tanker fuel storage, nor did it cause the tanker to leak fuel. Due to the precarious position of the tanker truck and the pinned car, it took an extended amount of time to separate the vehicles. This caused significant traffic delays to the morning commute traffic. The incident was completely cleared at 10:08 am.

At this time, it doesn't appear alcohol or drugs were a factor in this collision.

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