SUV flips near El Capitan State Beach

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

A rollover accident on Highway 101 near El Capitan State Beach sent four people to the hospital, delayed railroad traffic and closed one lane of the highway for several hours today.
Authorities said the driver of a 1999 Ford Explorer swerved to avoid a GMC Yukon that unexpectedly changed lanes at around 11:45 a.m. as the two vehicles traveled southbound, just south of El Capitan State Beach.

As a result, the driver lost control of the Explorer, causing the SUV to skid off the roadway and roll several times before coming to a rest upside down about eight feet from the railroad tracks.
One passenger was ejected from the vehicle, County Firefighter Paul Christensen said, while three other occupants remained trapped inside.
After firefighters extricated the trapped victims, all four were transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Christensen said two occupants sustained critical injuries while the others received moderate and minor injuries. No further information on their conditions or identities was available.
County firefighters responded to the scene along with a fire helicopter, CHP officers, paramedics and State Park rangers.
Due to the proximity of the vehicle to the railroad tracks, authorities halted all train traffic until 12:45 p.m., when they started letting trains pass through the area at slow speeds.
By 1:50 p.m., emergency workers had removed the vehicle and cleared the scene, reopening the right lane of the highway about 20 minutes later.