Two people were killed in a head-on collision involving a driver who was traveling the wrong way on eastbound I-80 near the Appian Way exit Monday night, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP responded to the scene just west of Appian Way at about 11:40 p.m. and learned a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer had entered the eastbound lanes of I-80 from an exit ramp before it collided head on with a 2000 Toyota pickup truck that had been traveling in the far right lane on the highway.
Two people in the Toyota were killed, and the wrong-way driver was airlifted to the hospital.
Before the crash, the Trailblazer had been under observation by Pinole police for committing “several vehicle code violations” in the area. A police sergeant said he tried to pull the Trailblazer over after it stopped in the middle of an intersection on Appian Way and a passenger exited. The Trailblazer “accelerated away at a high rate of speed,” according to authorities.
“Pinole PD did not pursue, but rather stayed with the passenger,” according to the CHP’s investigation. “Approximately 45 seconds later, the head on collision occurred. Several witness statements relayed that Pinole PD was not chasing the suspect vehicle.”
