One Injured After Vehicle Veers Off Highway 101 and Strikes Tree on Gaviota Coast

A driver sustained moderate injuries Friday afternoon after their vehicle went off Northbound Highway 101 and crashed into a tree on the Gaviota Coast.

According to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, emergency crews were dispatched at 3:15 p.m. to the scene of the single-vehicle collision, located north of Mariposa Reina.

The California Highway Patrol reported that a small white cargo van veered off the right side of the roadway, traveling approximately 50 feet down an embankment before striking a tree.

Before emergency personnel arrived, Good Samaritans who had been passing by stopped to help the occupant get out of the wrecked van.

Fire department paramedics treated the driver for moderate injuries and they were transported by ground ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for further evaluation.

Despite the severity of the crash, the incident did not result in any lane closures on the highway. Emergency crews remained on the scene to manage the situation and coordinate the vehicle’s removal.