Chain-reaction crash kills two on I-80 in Hercules
HERCULES, Calif. - Two people were killed after getting out their cars following a chain-reaction crash Friday night on Interstate Highway 80 in Hercules, the California Highway Patrol said Saturday.
The crashes were triggered about 8:20 p.m. when a Honda Accord with a flat tire stopped in the #1 lane of westbound I-80 west of Willow Avenue, the CHP said.
A Volkswagen Passat came to a stop behind the Honda and was then rear-ended by a black Honda Accord. After that, a silver Honda Civic rear-ended the stopped black Honda Accord.
Nobody was injured in the collisions and there was only minor damage to the cars, the CHP said.
However, motorists left their cars after the crashes to exchange information in the center median. While they were there, a blue Toyota Camry swerved left into the center median to avoid the stopped cars, hitting the people gathered there, the CHP said.
A 35-year-old San Leandro woman was thrown into eastbound lanes of the freeway and was hit by cars, and a man landed in the center median. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said. The names have not been released.
Two people in the Toyota Camry were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Alcohol and/or drugs are not suspected as a factor in this collision but it is still under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash who hasn't spoken with CHP already is asked to contact Contra Costa CHP at (925) 646-4980.