BlogaBarbara

Santa Barbara Politics, Media & Culture

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

101 North Shut Down!

This from a citizen stringer....
======================
December 19, 2006 MONTECITO -- A traffic accident involving a big rig shut down all northbound lanes of Highway 101 through Montecito Tuesday morning. At approximately 5:40 AM Tuesday a tractor-trailer rig traveling northbound on US 101 collided with the bridge railing on the Cabrillo Blvd overpass, jackknifed and caught fire blocking both traffic lanes. Additionally, debris from the collision rained down onto Cabrillo Blvd forcing its closure as well. It is not known at this time what cargo the big rig was carrying. However, it is known that it was not carrying any hazardous substances. The driver apparently escaped uninjured. Traffic on northbound US 101 is being diverted off at Hermosillo Road in Montecito, then onto Old Coast Highway to Salinas Street. Preliminary estimate is a 2 -3 hour closure of northbound US 101. It is anticipated that the big rig will likely have to be pushed off the freeway overpass and down onto Cabrillo Blvd to be removed. Caltrans will then have to patch the bridge railing. Motorists are encouraged to avoid this area if at all possible and give yourself plenty of extra time. Patience will be in extra order this morning for those who normally commute via northbound US 101.

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

From the CHP:

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
9:37AM 100 GALS OF SPILLED DIESEL, DOT HANDLING CLEAN-UP
9:28AM PER 29-D1, ETA TO OPEN 1300 HRS
9:05AM PER CALLER ADV CARS ARE MAKING 4 LANES NB 101 AT EVANS
7:50AM ALL TRAFFIC EXIT
7:50AM HAVE 29-10 DIVERT ALL TRAFFIC AT HERMOSILLO
7:47AM DOT WANTS TO DRIVE LOADER UP THE NB HOT SPRINGS OFF RAMP IS THIS OK?
7:38AM 29-10 WHEN THE EQUIP IS 1097, SBSO WILL STOP TRAFFIC AT COAST VIL
7:36AM IF SUCCESSFUL, WE LL BE ABLE TO OPEN UP COAST VILLAGE
7:04AM SMITTY S IS 1097
7:03AM HAVE THE PAO, BRING BATTERIES FOR PICTURES & HIS ETA
6:55AM DOT 1097
6:55AM 20M - 1039 29-C
6:50AM 1039 SLO CHP TO COVER NORTHEND
6:47AM D1 HANDLING SBA MEDIA
6:46AM 1039 VTU CODE 20
6:45AM 20M - WHEN DOT 1097 THE PLAN IS TO PUSH TRK O/SIDE THEN WE LL CLEAN UP FRM THE BOTTOM
6:40AM 1039 29-S1 (CELL) LEFT MSG
6:38AM 1039 SMITTYS - LOW BOY
6:36AM 20M L/L DOT 1097 (BRIDGE INSPECTORS)
6:33AM 20M - FWY WILL BE CLOSED 3-4 HRS - REQ 29-S1 TO ROLL TO SCENE
6:22AM 29-D1 COPIES, WILL GET A BRIEF STATEMENT OUT TO MEDIA THEN RESP TO SCENE
6:22AM 20M - TRK HIT CABRILLO/HOT SPRINGS O/PASS
6:20AM C860 1097
6:18AM 1039 SMITTYS 2 FLTBDS
6:15AM REQ LINE 30, PER SCANNER SBPD TAKING SUBJS INFO
6:12AM CORRECTION, NO 1039 TO CODE 20 --- ON HOLD TOO LONG
6:10AM 1039 SBSO REF: 1181/ 3-4 HR CLEANUP
6:10AM 1039 VTU CODE 20
6:08AM NEED FIRE/1141 - FOR 1181 ONRAMP NB 101 AT HOT SPRINGS
6:08AM 29-40 - 1097 W/DRIVER NO HAZ MAT INVOLVED
6:02AM DOT ENROUTE AND SIGALERT ISSUED
6:01AM 101 - EXT CLOSURE - ADVSD THE SGT
6:01AM 101 - UNK IF VEH OCCUPIED STILL ON FIRE
6:00AM MAKING U TURNS ON COAST VILLAGE RD
6:00AM PER SCANNER VEHS CAN EXIT LOS PATOS
5:59AM ALL LNS BLOCKED RIG STILL ON FIRE, ISSUE SIG ALERT
5:58AM SBSO SMALL BRUSH FIRE HAS STARTED
5:55AM 1039 SMITTYS HD TO PRIME BIG RIG
5:54AM BIG RIG DANGLING FRM O/PAS HERMOSILLA/SALINAS
5:53AM SBSO L/L UNK IF 1144
5:48AM NB AT HERMISILLO OFR
5:47AM PER SCANNER NB COMPLETELY BLOCKED
5:46AM 1039 SBSO ALSO ER
5:46AM 1039 SBA OFC FOR DAY SHIFT UNITS
5:45AM APPRS SOMEONE IN CAB FIRE ALL AROUND
5:44AM 1039 CITY FIRE
5:43AM PTY POSS TRAPPED IN RIG
5:43AM BIG RIG ON FIRE
5:43AM TRK ON FIRE
RESPONDING OFFICERS STATUS
6:17AM CHP Unit On Scene
6:51AM CHP Unit On Scene
8:09AM CHP Unit On Scene
9:22AM CHP Unit On Scene

12/19/2006 9:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Truck was carrying goods for Costco. Golf balls, Tide, etc. Great job by Fire Deprtment on this one.

12/19/2006 10:37 AM  
Blogger SantaBarbarian said...

Now...let's see what is the exact cause of this accident. Possibly, exhaustion?

The questions the "media" should be asking...

1) How many hours had the driver been on the road without breaks?

2) How fast was he/she going? And, if they were speeding...why? (many truckers are paid by the mile, so the more you go....)

3) Was the truck registered in the US or was it a Mexican truck (which, by the way, DOES NOT HAVE TO ABIDE BY US STANDARDS...i.e., break tests, fluid tests, tire tests, overall maintenence and SMOG requirements.

Before we start wanking about "what an inconvenience", we should be aware that there are thousands of "inconveniences", even more hazardous than this one, waiting to happen because of this administration.

12/19/2006 1:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Freeway now open.

12/19/2006 1:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cookie Jill - It could have just been an accident, possibly caused by ice on the road due to the cold?

12/19/2006 4:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bush was driving with Cheney riding shotgun. Cookie Jill, what do you think the CHP and PD do during an investigation? All your questions will be answered. And it will be public record. All that gets done whether the "media" pays attention or not. By the way, isn't this blog part of the new media?

12/19/2006 6:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love this kind of reporting. When I heard about the crash at the office, it reminded me of my long-time dream to have a radio station that reports local news ALL day with lots of breaking stories. This site has put me, a news junkie, a step closer to that dream. I sure am excited about the rise of citizen journalism in Santa Barbara.

Don Lubach

12/19/2006 9:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A little racist to blame this on a Mexican don't you think Cookie Jill?

12/20/2006 9:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jill wasn't talking about the driver-- she was talking about the truck. "Mexican truck" not "Mexican's truck" or "Mexican truck driver".

Signed,

A Life-Long Mexican

12/20/2006 11:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wouldn't accuse someone of racism just for asking questions, if I were you. Now-a-days that's a totally overused term.

NAFTA is a problem and will only grow, not racism, reality. The problems with NAFTA are not "Mexicans", but the lack of proper standards and inspections. Requirements in Mexico are totally different (RE: none) for safety and smog with truckers, not to mention licensing and medical certificates. So, we all can look forward to more crowded roads with trucks being driven by unqualified drivers in unsafe and overloaded vehicles with the CHP being able to do nothing about it because of stupid federal policies.

All the questions jill asks are part of the investigation, but whether or not it is reported once released is another story. Just like the under-reporting of the true costs of NAFTA what it's true objectives are.

12/21/2006 7:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The objective is to help out Mexico. To try and export U.S. law on them IS racist. No other way to look at it!

After all, we did take away half of thier country.

12/21/2006 3:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

These questions are racist if you ask me.

signed,

- also a Mexican - also a Mexican -

12/21/2006 5:07 PM  

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