Two motorists were killed – one by gunshot in an apparent continuation of roadway shootings on I-80 – and the other killed in an almost simultaneous chain-reaction accident on Highway 4 in Martinez.
Both crashes occurred within five minutes of the other. First responders answering a call for help on westbound I-80 at 8:30 p.m. found a car with several people injured inside, the driver dead of an apparent gunshot wound.
The highway has seen several moving shootings in recent weeks, with some attributed to gang activity and others involving innocents caught in the exchanges. The section of roadway where the latest shooting/accident occurred has been sealed and an investigation is underway.
Five minutes after it was first reported, motorists called police to inform them of a chain-reaction crash in the westbound lanes of Highway 4 just west of Alhambra Ave.
A California Highway Patrol spokesman said 19-year-old Alexandra Garcia of Concord was driving her blue 2009 Mazda 3 on westbound Highway 4, east of Alhambra Avenue when for some reason the car veered into the center median and collided with a guardrail. The force of this initial impact caused the Mazda to be propelled into the #1 lane (fast), where it came to rest.
Investigators said the driver exited the Mazda just before it was struck by a black 1995 Buick Rivera. The force of this impact sent the Mazda hurtling into Garcia, throwing her into the #2 lane of traffic. The collision with the Buick forced the Mazda back towards the center median, where it came to rest against the guardrail, according to the CHP. The Buick careened out of control towards the center median, overturned, struck the guardrail, and came to rest on its roof.
Officers said it was at that point Garcia, who was laying within the #2 lane of traffic after being struck by her vehicle, was hit by a silver 1999 Honda Civic. The Honda then spun out of control towards the center median, struck the guardrail, and ricocheted into the #2 lane of traffic, where it came to rest.
Anyone who witnessed this traffic collision or the events leading up to it are asked to please contact us at 925-646-4980.
Sad. 80 has been really bad lately. This was a road rage murder???
It is crazy on 80. Police chasing someone too.
Awful.
Insane
Just very happy we weren’t on the road last night. We’ll see how things go tomorrow.