An 18-year-old passenger was killed yesterday when a Chevrolet Camaro flew off eastbound I-80 near the Seventh Street off-ramp in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood and crashed into the San Francisco Police Department impound lot. Several others in the car were injured, and crews shut down the off-ramp while first responders worked the chaotic scene.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash involved a tractor-trailer, a Recology semi and a gray Chevrolet Camaro that made an illegal lane change to the right and hit the tractor-trailer just west of 7th Street. The impact sent the Camaro over the bridge railing and about 25 feet down into the SFPD impound parking lot, where it landed upside down on another vehicle and struck several parked cars.
One rear passenger, an 18-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:50 AM. Two other rear passengers, both 18, suffered major injuries. The right-front passenger, a 17-year-old male, had moderate injuries. The 18-year-old driver also suffered moderate injuries but was able to walk away from the wreck. One rear passenger was treated at a local hospital, as reported by KRON4.
Investigation and traffic impact
CHP investigators stayed on scene as tow crews worked to clear the mangled Camaro and damaged vehicles from the SFPD lot below. The Seventh Street off-ramp remained blocked, tying up early-morning traffic for drivers funneling through SoMa. Eastbound I-80 in the area has already been a headache on recent weekends, with Caltrans repair work and closures complicating travel, according to NBC Bay Area.
What officials say and next steps
CHP told KRON4 that investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, and the agency is continuing its probe into the deadly sequence of events. The name of the 18-year-old who died has not been released while the coroner and investigators notify family members.
Authorities are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or who has dash-cam video from the area around that time to contact CHP San Francisco as they work to piece together what led up to the fatal plunge.
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