A tragic series of events unfolded on Tuesday when a wrong-way driver, after being pursued by Contra Costa County sheriff's deputies, was killed in a four-car crash that closed eastbound Highway 4 near the Antioch Bridge yesterday. The incident began when Contra Costa sheriff's deputies attempted a traffic stop in Antioch but were led on a chase as the vehicle fled, an ordeal that swiftly escalated into a fatal confrontation, according to KTVU.
The driver of the fleeing vehicle, identified by the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office as 50-year-old Victor Vigil of Pittsburg, led deputies on a chase that concluded when he drove into oncoming traffic on the Highway 4-Highway 160 connector, as reported by the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office. Deputies abandoned the chase once Vigil crossed the median into the opposing lanes. However, soon after the pursuit was halted, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) received calls of a collision on the highway overpass. The CHP Contra Costa post specified that the driver collided head-on with a Mercedes SUV, which led to additional crashes involving a Honda Civic and a Dodge Caliber.
Despite terminating their pursuit before the collision, details from the KTVU interview with the daughter of the Mercedes driver revealed the extent of the aftermath: the Mercedes driver was airlifted to the hospital and remains in the ICU with several broken bones in her arms and legs. Victims from the Dodge were also transported to local hospitals for their injuries.
