Tragedy struck the Bay Bridge early Thursday morning when a stalled Mini Cooper was rear-ended by a pickup truck, leaving two people dead and traffic at a standstill. The collision occurred near Treasure Island around 4:15 a.m., as per reports from SFist. All eastbound lanes were blocked for hours during the morning commute, causing delays that rippled back into San Francisco.
According to SFist, the Mini Cooper, which carried three passengers, stopped in the right-hand lane before the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck crashed into it. The force of the impact killed the driver and a rear passenger of the Mini. Another passenger and the Tacoma driver were hospitalized with minor injuries, the California Highway Patrol confirmed.
The Mercury News reported that emergency services initially had to close all five lanes before reopening two and clearing the scene at about 6:45 a.m. The identities of those who perished were withheld pending notification of next of kin, with the San Francisco Medical Examiner's office involved well into the morning.
The aftermath of the incident had commuters navigating a logistical nightmare, as the bridge, one of the main arteries into the city, was virtually impassable for an extended period. "Firefighters worked to extricate the passengers from the Mini Cooper following the crash," SFist noted amidst the congestion reports.
This harrowing event has prompted renewed discussions about safety on the bridge, as highlighted by a CHP Officer Mark Andrews who advised, "if no safe area exists, one should stay in the vehicle with seatbelt fastened and call 911."
