From Friday night through Monday morning, Richmond firefighters responded to five significant high speed traffic accidents and a half dozen less significant accidents on a three-mile stretch of I-80 between El Portal Drive and Cutting Boulevard.
Two of the accidents resulted in two fatalities, one critically injured patient and numerous other victims with moderate to major injuriesm reports Richmond Firefighters Local 188, the union representing city firefighters. The identities of the deceased were not immediately available.
Two of the weekend accidents involved four or more vehicles; three involved a vehicle rollover; two were single vehicle accidents and a total of two occupants were ejected, Local 188 stated.
One of the fatal crashes involved six vehicles and occurred at about 5:55 a.m. Sunday on eastbound 80 near Cutting Blvd. A 47-year-old man from San Pablo was pronounced dead at the scene and others involved in the crash sustained minor injuries, the CHP said. According to CHP, the vehicles were stopped dur to traffic conditions ahead. The driver of a 2015 Mitsubishi box-truck was driving at an unsafe spead for the weather and road conditions and was unable to stop in time to prevent the crash, the CHP said. Alcohol or drugs were not suspected.
The latest significant crash occurred early Monday near the El Portal Drive off-ramp, resulting in an SUV leaving the roadway and rolling about 175 feed down the embankment. The plummeting SUV narrowly missed striking an occupied homeless encampment, Local 188 states.
“Unfortunately, incidents such as these occur rather frequently on area roadways, but to have such a high number of significant and devastating incidents in a three day period is uncommon,” Local 188 said. “We ask that you drive with caution and keep your first responders in mind and please slow down when approaching stopped emergency vehicles on the roadway.”
