*Caltrans updated that as of 4 p.m. all lanes of the northbound 101 were opened.
By Raiza Giorgi
publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com
Two people were killed and one other person was seriously injured following a multi-vehicle accident on the northbound side of Highway 101 at Nojoqui grade, according to local officials.
The #2 and #3 lanes of Highway 101 were closed while crews worked to clear the debris out of the road, according to California Highway Patrol, and advised people to steer clear of the area.
A Honda Element was traveling southbound coming down the grade when it started to hydroplane on the highway and crossed into the northbound traffic. The Honda then crashed into a Jeep Cherokee, according to Mike Eliason, of Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
The driver of the Honda, 58-year-old Porterville woman, was killed as well as the passenger in the Jeep, a 75-year-old Buellton man. A dog that was in the Jeep also was killed upon impact.
Their names have not been released pending notification of relatives, he added.
Eliason said the Cherokee driver, a 65-year-old Buellton woman, suffered major injuries and had to be extracted, and was airlifted by Calstar helicopter to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Their condition is not known as of this time.
