Five people were injured, four critically, in a rollover crash on Highway 101 near Gaviota on Monday afternoon, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
The single-vehicle crash happened during rainy conditions at about 4:15 p.m., according to fire Capt. Daniel Bertucelli.
The wreck occurred in the northbound lanes, north of the tunnel near the Highway 1 turnoff, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A woman who reportedly is 8 months pregnant was airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital by a Calstar medical helicopter, which landed on the highway to pick her up.
The other patients, including three children, were transported to the hospital by AMR ambulance with moderate to major injuries, Bertucelli said.
The names and details on the conditions of the injured were not available.
“No extrication was required, but one person was thrown from the vehicle,” which rolled several times, Bertucelli said.
Northbound traffic was shut down briefly in the area to allow the helicopter to land on the highway, and the right-hand lane remained shut down for about an hour after the crash, causing a traffic back-up.
The crash was under investigation by the CHP.
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— 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.