Driver injured when big-rig plunges over side of Hwy. 154

A truck driver was seriously injured early Thursday when his big-rig plunged off the side of Highway 154, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The crash occurred at about 4:45 a.m. on Highway 154 just west of Paradise Road, said Mike Eliason, a Fire Department spokesman.

The semi tractor and trailer ended up about 150 feet below the roadway, Eliason said, adding that the driver was ejected in the crash, but crawled back into the cab to stay warm.

Firefighters, assisted by personnel from the U.S. Forest Service and the sheriff’s Search & Rescue Team, extricated the victim from the wreckage and brought him up to a waiting AMR ambulance, Eliason said.

He was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with moderate injuries.

Highway 154 was shut down for a time after the crash, which remained under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Driver injured when big-rig plunges over side of Hwy. 154."