Fatal collision temporarily shuts down Highway 166

5:17 p.m.: Caltrans announced Highway 166 is reopened but drivers should “expect residual traffic delays for a while.”

Original story:

The California Highway Patrol has closed Highway 166 east of the Cuyama Valley due to a pair of traffic collisions, including one that Noozhawk reports involved a fatality.

Since the Montecito mudslides left Highway 101 closed just south of Santa Barbara, CHP and Caltrans have recommended that people traveling south from the Central Coast use Highway 166 or Highway 46 to get to Interstate 5.

CHP issued a signal alert at 3:37 p.m. that the highway is closed; Noozhawk reports the fatal collision involved a hay truck and a white sedan. A second, minor collision occurred on Highway 166 near Bull Canyon Road.

This is a developing story. It will be updated as further information becomes available.

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Fatal collision temporarily shuts down Highway 166."