CHP officer airlifted to hospital for moderate injuries following motorcycle accident north of Gaviota Tunnel

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Crews are airlifting an injured CHP motorcycle officer to a nearby hospital after crews found the downed officer near a road construction area on Highway 101 in Buellton on Thursday afternoon, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Scott Safechuck, SBCFD spokesperson, said in a tweet that crews found the male CHP officer with moderate injuries around 2:19 p.m. on southbound Highway 101 about a half-mile south of Nojoqui Summit, north of the Gaviota Tunnel.

Safechuck said an ambulance took the officer to a landing zone, where a CalStar helicopter took him to Marion Medical Center. The original destination was Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, but Safechuck said they rerouted to Marion due to weather in the south coast area.

This is a developing story. More information will be provided as updates come into the newsroom.

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