SANTA BARBARA, COUNTY, Calif. — Dashcam footage points at a tractor-trailer billowing smoke as the cause of a multi-vehicle accident that left four people injured on Highway 154 in Santa Barbara County, California, on Feb. 1.
Online news organization Edhat reported that the accident happened on Cold Spring Bridge, which sits at 400 feet above a canyon floor and is California’s highest steel bridge.
Edhat said that, according to police reports and a driver, the collision was caused by a tractor-trailer emitting thick smoke. The semi-truck driver has not been identified and reportedly did not stop or pullover following the accident.
Patrick L. Siefe told Edhat that there was no visibility, which caused four accidents in about 10 seconds involving seven cars.
Siefe also posted dashcam footage on Facebook that showed the semi-truck passing while emitting thick smoke and obscuring the highway before the driver ran up on another vehicle.
The accident happened between 7-8 p.m. Siefe said in a post on Edhat’s webpage that he didn’t believe that the trucker left the scene intentionally after knowing they caused an accident.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department reported that five vehicles were involved in the accident, which sent two men and two women to a Santa Barbara Cottage hospital with moderate injuries.
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