Two Injured in Multi-Vehicle Pile-Up at Gaviota

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By Tom Bolton, Noozhawk Executive Editor | @tombol | 12:41 p.m.

Southbound lanes were closed for a time, but have since reopened

At least two people were injured early Wednesday in a multi-vehicle, chain-reaction accident on Highway 101 at Gaviota, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The accident, which involved six vehicles, occurred at about 5:40 a.m. in the southbound lanes just north of the Gaviota tunnel, in an area known as the S Curves, said Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason.

Two patients were taken to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries, Eliason said.

The incident actually involved a series of six separate collisions, according to Officer Danny Maher with the California Highway Patrol’s Buellton office.

“One of parties said they were hit by a big-rig truck, which then left the scene,” Maher said. “The truck driver may or may not have known he hit another vehicle, but that’s what apparently started the whole thing off.”

Both lanes of the highway were blocked for a time, Eliason said, but by 6:05 a.m., one lane was reopened, and traffic was flowing through the area again.

Officials were urging motorists to use caution in the area and to use other routes if possible.

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