2 killed, 7 hurt in HWY 101 crash near El Capitan
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Two people were killed and seven others were injured in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 101 near El Capitan State Beach Thursday morning.
Around 7:55 a.m., a gray Ford Expedition going northbound lost control, collided with a Ford F-450 traveling northbound and then crashed through a median and rolled into southbound traffic. The Expedition was struck by several other cars, California Highway Patrol said.
#ElCap Incident- 2 people were killed, 4 others with critical injuries following a 2 vehicle accident (Expedition & Grand Caravan) Hwy 101 s/b south of El Capitan Ranch Rd. Extensive extrication req. 4 taken to SB Cottage & CHP investigating. s/b fwy blocked. C/T 7:59 (SBC pics) pic.twitter.com/wclxqZCjCk
— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) July 15, 2021
Five people were inside the Expedition at the time of the crash. Two female passengers died at the scene. Three others, including the driver, were taken to the hospital with major and moderate injuries.
Two other people from other vehicles were also taken to the hospital, including the driver of a Dodge Caravan who suffered major injuries. Three others were treated at the scene and released.
CHP issued a SIG Alert for the area and advised drivers to take Highway 154 as an alternate route. Traffic was at a standstill for several hours following the crash.
By 1 p.m. all lanes of the highway were reopened.
The crash remains under investigation by CHP. It's unclear at this time if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
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