A woman was seriously injured late Thursday when she was struck by two cars on Highway 101 after her Jeep hit a guardrail and flipped on Ortega Hill in Montecito.

Initial reports said the woman was ejected from her Jeep Wrangler on the northbound side and hurled onto the southbound lanes. But witnesses said the woman stumbled from the automobile and tried to cross the southbound lanes of the freeway. Passers-by said they tried to reach her but she was struck almost immediately by two cars.

The crash occurred just before 11 p.m. The extent of the woman’s injuries was not known early Friday.

According to the California Highway Patrol, a Mercedes-Benz collided with the overturned Jeep on the northbound side of the freeway. It was not clear if there were any injuries in that accident.

The southbound lanes were closed between Sheffield Drive and Evans Avenue for emergency vehicles and crash investigators until about 3 a.m., authorities said. Just one lane was open on the northbound side of the freeway.

Surface streets were gridlocked through Montecito and Summerland during the closure.

Check back with Noozhawk for more details.

— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk.