1 dead, 2 injured after crash near Lake Cachuma entrance on Highway 154

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Santa Barbara County firefighters, Los Padres National Forest and CHP officers responded to a traffic crash on Highway 154 near the entrance to Lake Cachuma.

The CHP website said two cars were involved in the crash which took place around 5:56 p.m. on Friday at 2301 Hwy 154.

Three people were injured in the crash. One person sustained serious injures and needed extensive extrication to be removed from the crash. The other two sustained moderate and minor injuries and were able to get themselves out of their vehicles.

Two AMR ambulances and one CALSTAR air ambulance responded to the scene.

County Fire said the person with serious injuries was loaded onto the CALSTAR helicopter and flown to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. CHP reported the crash as fatal after 7 p.m.

The other two patients were transported by ground ambulance to the hospital.

Both lanes of the highway were shut down while emergency personnel responded and were reopened around 7:15 p.m.

Both vehicles have major front end damage.

CHP is investigating the cause of the crash.