Wrong-way driver kills 5 people, including 3 children, in Pittsburg

Five people – including three young children – were killed in a head-on crash that involved a wrong-way driver in Pittsburg early Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.

PITTSBURG, Calif. - Five people – including three young children – were killed in a head-on crash that involved a wrong-way driver in Pittsburg early Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.

The collision happened just after midnight Thursday on Highway 4 near Loveridge Road.

Authorities say a driver in Hyundai Elantra traveling east on the westbound lanes of the highway, slammed head-on into a Ford SUV.

The driver in the Hyundai was killed, as well as the three passengers who the CHP described as "young children."

The driver of the Ford was killed as well.

"Our units arrived on scene and they determined it to be a head-on collision and at this point we have five victims," CHP Sgt. Duy Tran said.

The scene showed mangled cars, fire trucks and officers with flashlights trying to determine the chain of events.

The CHP closed all westbound lanes for nearly three hours and the scene was cleared just before 4 a.m.

Officers have not released any names or ages of those killed.

The CHP says it's also too early to tell whether alcohol or drugs could have been a factor in this crash.

On Wednesday, a person was killed on Highway 4 not too far away near Bailey Road in a single car accident.

3 minors among 5 killed in wrong-way Pittsburg crash

Five people – including three minors – were killed in a head-on crash that involved a wrong-way driver in Pittsburg early Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol said. Emma Goss reports

Also on Wednesday, another wrong-way crash injured 25 law enforcement cadets in Southern California.

In that case, the 22-year-old driver of an SUV veered into the wrong lane and plowed through dozens of Los Angeles County sheriff’s academy recruits running in formation during a training exercise.

The most serious injuries included head trauma, broken bones and "loss of limb," said Sheriff Alex Villanueva. He said five people were critically injured, four had moderate injuries and 16 had minor injuries.

The young driver was sober and ended up slamming into a light police himself.