A motorcyclist was killed early Friday in a crash on Highway 154 near the top of San Marcos Pass, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Firefighters and other emergency personnel were dispatched at about 4:45 a.m. to the incident between East Camino Cielo and Stagecoach Road, said fire Capt. Daniel Bertucelli.

The rider was westbound, heading downhill from the summit, when he struck a guard rail, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The victim, who appeared to be a man in his 30s, was found down in the roadway, and was declared dead at the scene, Bertucelli told Noozhawk.

His name was being withheld pending notification of relatives.

The crash, which was under investigation by the CHP, shut down traffic on Highway 154 for a time.