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A fiery crash south of Buellton claimed the life of a big-rigdriver Thursday afternoon, but emergency personnel were able toavert a greater tragedy by rescuing three people from a car thatwas dangling precariously over a freeway bridge.

One by one, a 10-year-old girl, a 10-week-old baby girl and a40-year-old woman were extricated from a dark-colored BMW sedanthat clung to a concrete guardrail above Nojoqui Creek in the ThreeBridges area of northbound Highway 101, south of Santa RosaRoad.

All three were taken to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. Theirnames and the extent of their moderate injuries were notreleased.

The baby girl was "alive and kicking" when she was taken out ofthe mangled vehicle and placed in an ambulance, said CHP OfficerDanny Maher. The other girl and the woman were taken to thehospital by helicopter.

The big-rig driver - whose identity also was not released - waspronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred about2:40 p.m., the CHP said.

Traffic on Highway 101 was shut down in both directions into thenight, as rescue workers cleaned up the wreckage and Caltransassessed damage to the freeway bridge.

The violent collision blew out chunks of the concrete guardrailon both sides of the bridge.

At one point, northbound Highway 101 traffic was reported backedup to Glen Annie Road in western Goleta, more than 20 milesaway.

Southbound freeway traffic also was congested in the Buelltonarea, along with Highways 154 and 246, as commuters sought outalternate routes.

The rescue effort was aided by a group of Navy Seabees from PortHueneme who were stuck in southbound traffic near the accident.They were able to use a forklift they were transporting to helpprevent the BMW from sliding off the bridge.

According the California Highway Patrol, the northbound graveltruck, traveling in the fast lane, struck the BMW from behind andthen careened off a bridge and into the creek adjacent to thefreeway, where it burst into flames.

The BMW was driven into the concrete guard rail. A tow truckstabilized the car to keep it from falling off the bridge.

Smoke from the burning truck could be seen for miles.

Hazardous materials crews from the Santa Barbara County FireDepartment were checking the creek for spilled diesel fuel, andstate Fish & Game officials were called in to assess any damageto wildlife.

Eight fire engines, two water tenders, and the county firehelicopter responded, said county fire Capt. Ken Murray.

Between 30 and 60 gallons of diesel from the truck's externaltanks spilled into the creek, and crews diverted the flowdownstream and used dispersing agents on the fuel, he said.

A Calstar air ambulance also responded as well as the SantaBarbara County Sheriff's Department.

The crash caused heavy damage to the bridge, and CHP reportssaid it would remain closed until it was inspected by Caltransengineers and determined to be safe.

Staff Writer Julian Ramos and photographer Leah Thompsonreported from the scene.