A motorist was critically injured early Sunday in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 246 east of Buellton, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Emergency personnel were dispatched at about 2:15 a.m. to the flats area between Buellton and Solvang, where a pickup truck has slammed into a tree, said fire Capt. Daniel Bertucelli.

Major extrication was required to remove the driver from the wreckage.

The patient, who was not identified, was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with major injuries, Bertucelli said.

Details on the driver’s condition were not available.

Dogs that were in the vehicle were transported to a local veterinarian for evaluation, Bertucelli said.

The crash was under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.