Woman airlifted to hospital after Highway 166 crash

A woman was seriously injured Sunday morning after her car crashed on Highway 166, authorities said.

At around 7:50 a.m. Sunday, the woman was driving a 1997 silver Honda Civic sedan when she was involved in a single-vehicle collision about half a mile from Rock Front Ranch, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The vehicle was found about 50 feet below a bridge, the agency said.

A total of four engines and two helicopters responded to the incident. When units arrived at the scene, the vehicle was smoking on the righthand shoulder of the roadway, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said.

First responders used a rope system to extract the woman, according to the fire department. Two tow trucks were called to the scene, the agency said, as the first did not have the ability to pull the vehicle up.

According to CHP logs, the driver was airlifted to Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria, then taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

The right shoulder lane was closed for the helicopter to land by 9 a.m. The road has since been reopened.

The cause of the collision is still unknown.

This is an ongoing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 10:22 AM.