A pre-dawn crash on eastbound Interstate 80 between Fairfield and Vacaville left a Sacramento man in his 20s dead today, shutting down traffic and turning the busy corridor into a crime scene for several hours, officials said.
The collision was reported just before 3 a.m. near Cherry Glen Road. All eastbound lanes were closed as emergency crews responded, investigated and cleared debris, snarling traffic until the roadway reopened.
According to CBS Sacramento, the California Highway Patrol believes the deadly chain of events started when a vehicle became disabled on the freeway and was then struck by another car. Officers told the outlet they believe the initial driver was subsequently hit and run over by at least one additional vehicle.
CHP identified the victim only as a Sacramento man in his 20s. His name has not been released. Eastbound I-80 in the area remained closed for several hours and reopened shortly before 5:30 AM.
Traffic And Investigation
Crews worked through the early morning to clear the scene and get traffic moving again for drivers heading toward the Bay Area. The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation, including how the vehicle ended up disabled in the path of oncoming traffic.
Authorities are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has information about the vehicles involved to contact the CHP's Solano-area office as the investigation continues.
Safety Concerns And Planned Fixes
This stretch of I-80 has seen serious wrecks before. A deadly pileup in January shut down eastbound lanes and underscored long-standing safety worries along the Vacaville corridor. Hoodline coverage of the January pileup that froze the morning commute detailed that earlier incident.
A Metropolitan Transportation Commission document lists federally funded plans to install concrete median barriers and rehabilitate pavement near Cherry Glen Road. Those projects appear in regional funding lists aimed at improving safety on this segment of I-80.
Authorities have not announced any charges. The CHP investigation remains active, and this article will be updated as officials release additional information.
