One person has died following a vehicle collision with a tree north of Goleta early Thursday, December 4.
At 3:16 a.m., California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to Highway 101 southbound just south of Dos Pueblos Canyon Road.
Officers discovered a solo crash and determined a white Lexus SUV had left the roadway and collided with a “No Parking” sign before overturning and striking a large tree.
The driver and single occupants of the SUV, a male, was found unresponsive inside the vehicle and was extricated by CHP personnel who initiated CPR. Santa Barbara County Fire arrived shortly thereafter and assumed lifesaving efforts. The driver was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel.
The preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling southbound at an unknown speed in an unknown lane when it veered off the roadway for reasons still under investigation. It is unknown if DUI and or drugs were a factor in this crash, CHP stated.
The vehicle sustained major damage and the identity of the driver has yet to be released.
The #2 lane of Highway 101 southbound was closed and reopened at approximately 8:30 am.
The incident remains under active investigation by the California Highway Patrol. If anyone witnessed this crash, please call (805) 770-4800 and provide a statement.
Dos Pueblos Canyon Road was also a site of rollover crash on October 31, 2025, according to an Edhat report. That incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. when a caller reported a vehicle off the southbound lanes near Goleta.
That crash involved a white Nissan Altima and a pickup truck. The collision sent the Altima off the roadway. CHP units responded to manage traffic, and officers confirmed no injuries were reported.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, Santa Barbara County recorded 2,557 fatal and injury collisions in 2022. Of those, 393 involved alcohol, including 49 crashes with drivers under 21.
The county also reported 156 motorcycle crashes and 123 pedestrian-involved collisions, including 13 children under 15 and 19 pedestrians aged 65 and older.
The report listed 503 speed-related collisions, 283 nighttime crashes between 9 p.m. and 2:59 a.m., and 222 hit-and-run cases. OTS rankings place Santa Barbara County in the mid-range compared with 58 statewide jurisdictions.
[Ed Note: This story has been updated with new information by the California Highway Patrol]
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If I had to bet money, I would guess the driver fell asleep. Americans do not get enough sleep. This is now a comparable risk factor in crashes to alcohol.
That photo looks like there are two vehicles. Meaning that one vehicle hit at such high speed that it was split in two. As if the motorist never even tried to slow down.