A rash of vehicle crashes on Highway 101 along the Gaviota Coast continued Tuesday afternoon when a pickup truck veered off the roadway and overturned.

The man driving the truck suffered major injuries in the crash, which occurred at about 2:45 p.m. in the southbound lanes near the Refugio State Beach offramp, according to Karen Cruz-Orduña, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The truck veered off the highway, sheared off a utility pole and overturned several times before coming to rest on its side on the ocean side of the railroad tracks, Cruz-Orduña said.

The driver was transported by AMR ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with critical injuries, she added.

His name and details on his condition were not available.

Railroad traffic in the area was suspended for a time after the crash, which was under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.