The rain is here. Drive slowly.
The first showers of the season arrived Saturday morning, and motorists were experiencing slippery roads and highway mishaps.
Multiple collisions occurred on Highway 101, but most have not resulted in serious injuries.
Crashes in Buellton, Gaviota and Santa Maria all sparked emergency responses.
The first significant crash was near El Capitan State Beach on the Gaviota Coast shortly before 9 a.m., with four patients, three with minor injuries and one with major injuries, according to fire Capt. Scott Safechuck.
They were taken by ambulance to area hospitals. Their names and details on their conditions were not available.
A second crash happened at 11:25 a.m. near Las Varas Canyon.
A woman driving a pickup truck rolled the vehicle over.
According to motorists at the scene, the pickup swerved off the highway in the southbound direction, knocking down a utility pole that left lines draped across the lanes. Drivers were having to go on the side of the road to get by.
Safechuck said the Verizon lines were blocking all lanes. Southbound lanes were closed and only one northbound lane was open initially.
The woman was taken by ambulance to an area hospital with minor injuries.
The accident stalled traffic in both directions, sparking major delays.
Northbound traffic was being diverted off the freeway at Winchester Canyon Road throughout the afternoon.
At 6:35 p.m., Caltrans announced that the northbound Highway 101 was being reopened at Cathedral Oaks Road/Winchester Canyon Road on the south.
Shortly before 10 p.m., Caltrans reported that all lanes were open, except for one lane in each direction in the area of the crash.
Meanwhile, at about 3:20 p.m., a multi-vehicle collision with minor injuries was reported on Highway 154 at West Camino Cielo.
Eastbound Highway 154, the detour route due to the Highway 101 closure, was blocked in the area for about 45 minutes, Safechuck said.
Safechuck urged motorists to stay safe and “ensure proper tire tread, good windshield wipers, provide more distance between you and other vehicles, and drive a safe slower.”
According to the National Weather Service, periods of light rain are likely through Saturday afternoon.
Mostly dry conditions are expected on Sunday, with a return to on-again, off-again showers on Monday and Tuesday.
The remainder of the week, including the Thanksgiving holiday, is predicted to be dry.
Click here for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
