Fiery crash blocks traffic on Highway 101 along SLO County coast
Update, 10:50 a.m.:
Lanes began reopening at around 10:34 a.m. as tow trucks worked to clear the involved vehicles from the scene of the crash, according to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page.
A Subaru was also reported suffering rear-end damage in the aftermath of the initial crash, requiring additional tow services, according to the CHP page.
Original Story:
A crash that saw one car catch fire stopped traffic on Highway 101 along the San Luis Obispo County coast Wednesday morning.
At around 9:38 a.m., the California Highway Patrol received a report of a Mini Cooper that crashed and caught fire near the Wadsworth Avenue off-ramp in Pismo Beach, according to the CHP’s Traffic Incident Information Page.
All northbound traffic was stopped by the crash at around 9:45 a.m., which blocked both lanes of the highway, according to the CHP page.
State Parks officers started diverting traffic at the Wadsworth Avenue off-ramp through Price Street, while ambulances and tow trucks were dispatched to the scene of the crash, according to the CHP page.
Ambulances were dismissed from the crash scene by around 9:51 a.m., but traffic was still crawling through that stretch of Highway 101 as of 10:15 a.m.
This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 10:24 AM.
