California Highway Patrol officers were sent to investigate a report of fire alongside I680 south of the Bernal Avenue offramp in Pleasanton Sunday, finding a car fully engulfed in the trees alongside the freeway.
One person was found to be inside the vehicle. The crash and fire was reported at approximately 6:29 p.m.
Investigators determined that a Mercedes sedan traveling southbound on the freeway attempted to take the Bernal exit but failed to negotiate the turn for reasons unknown – plowing down an embankment and striking a large tree head-on.
The car caught fire, flames spreading to surrounding vegetation. The driver, who was the sole occupant and who was trapped inside the car, died inside.
The ramp was closed for about two hours Sunday as investigators worked to determine the cause of the crash.
