Flipped vehicles, motorcycle crash back up traffic on Hwy. 101 near Gaviota

A series of accidents caused traffic congestion on rain-slick Highway 101 in the Gaviota area Monday morning, but no serious injuries were reported.

The first crash occurred just before 6 a.m. in the southbound lanes just south of the Gaviota Tunnel, said Mike Eliason, a Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they found a Chevy Tahoe on its roof, with the driver out of the vehicle, Eliason said.

As crews were checking on the driver, they saw a motorcycle kicking up sparks as it slid along the pavement, Eliason said. The rider, who suffered minor injuries, had laid down the motorcycle to avoid stopped traffic in the area of the first crash.

A short time later, near the Highway 1 interchange, a Toyota Tundra overturned and came to rest on its roof, Eliason said. The driver was able to climb out of the wreckage and was not injured, Eliason said.

Highway 101 was shut down for a time in the area, but has reopened.

All of the crashes were under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

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This story was originally published November 27, 2017 at 9:12 AM with the headline "Flipped vehicles, motorcycle crash back up traffic on Hwy. 101 near Gaviota."