Jackknifed Big Rig Closes Northbound 101 at Carp
Accident Since Cleared; Traffic Flowing Once Again
The California Highway Patrol reported this morning that a jackknifed big rig was blocking all northbound lanes of Highway 101 just south of Casitas Pass Road. The accident spilled an estimated 110 gallons of diesel onto the roadway – with some of that fuel running into Carpinteria Creek – and damaged the guard rail and cement underpass. According to the CHP account of the accident, 28-year-old Los Angeles resident Carlos Figueroa was driving his vehicle at approximately 55 miles per hour when he made, in the words of CHP spokesperson Officer Daniel Barba, “an unsafe turning movement” and lost control.
The California Department of Fish & Game, Caltrans, Santa Barbara County Health, and other agencies arrived at the scene to help clean up the fuel. The cleaning process, plus the investigation of the accident and the removal of the big rig, meant that the northbound lanes of the 101 were closed for nearly four hours. The offramp from Casitas Pass Road onto the northbound 101 remains closed.
Finally, Barba noted that alcohol was not a factor in the accident.
