11:13 a.m. | 
Investigators were providing few details about an accident on southbound Highway 101 in western Goleta Monday that claimed the life of one person.
Emergency personnel were called out at about 7:45 a.m. to a single-vehicle crash on the freeway about a half mile north of Winchester Canyon Road, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
For unknown reasons, a small, black SUV slammed into a large highway exit sign near the offramp, according to CHP dispatch.
CHP dispatch listed the incident as a fatal, but a spokesman would not comment, saying the case was being investigated by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies on scene would not provide any details about what happened. They described the area as a “crime scene” and limited media access.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Mark Williams confirmed there was a fatality, but said he could not provide further information.
The slow lane of southbound Highway 101 was closed down for several hours in the area of the wreck while investigators examined the wreckage and the scene. Traffic was backed up about a mile in the area.
One post of the large highway sign was sheared off, but the vehicle seemed to only have moderate front-end damage. Deputies pored over the vehicle, apparently looking for evidence.
Check back with Noozhawk for updates.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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