A woman was rescued from a crash off Highway 154 on the evening of Tuesday, December 30, after her car veered roughly 150 feet down a steep embankment just east of Windy Gap.
Emergency responders from Santa Barbara County Fire, Santa Barbara City Fire, CHP, AMR, and the Sheriff’s Air Support Unit were dispatched to the scene shortly after 5 p.m. The single-vehicle crash halted traffic in both directions on the San Marcos Pass as crews assessed the scene and initiated a rope rescue.
Firefighters accessed the vehicle using a rope system. The solo occupant — a female driver — did not require extrication from the sedan but was assisted from the vehicle, secured in a rescue stretcher, and hauled topside using rope equipment.
“She’s being transported by ground ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with minor to moderate injuries,” said County Fire spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck in a statement posted at 5:10 p.m.
The crash occurred approximately a quarter mile east of Windy Gap, about three miles above the City of Santa Barbara.
At the time of the crash, emergency personnel stopped traffic for an extended period of time to figure out a rescue plan, noting that the vehicle was estimated to be 150 feet down the hill.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. No other vehicles were involved.
Highway 154 remained closed in both directions for about an hour. Since then, both lanes have reopened.
Vehicle Over the Side Update: Patient is top side and being transporting by ground ambulance to SBCH ER.
— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) December 31, 2025
CHP plans to have sedan removed from hillside with tow-truck cable system.
See CHP & CalTrans for Hwy 154 reopening updates. pic.twitter.com/6XTDDk4CK1
The woman was transported by ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with minor to moderate injuries, according to County Fire spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck. | Credit: Scott Safechuck/Santa Barbara County Fire Department