Two Liberty High School student-athletes are dead and two other people are injured after a two-vehicle crash overnight near Deer Valley Road and Balfour Road in Antioch. Antioch police dispatchers received a report of the collision at about 12:11 a.m. on September 13, and officers arrived roughly 10 minutes later to find a silver Infiniti and a silver/white BMW involved in the wreck.
Both teens who died were 17-year-old male residents of Discovery Bay, according to an Antioch Police Department statement reported by the Antioch Herald, which said Antioch Police Traffic Unit Sergeant Rob Green confirmed the victims' residency. Police told The Press that the two occupants of the Infiniti died at the scene, while a third passenger in that vehicle was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The driver of the BMW was also injured in the crash. The case is being tracked under Case No. 26-8743.
Investigators are still working to confirm the identity of one victim and complete next-of-kin notifications, per the same account from The Press. As of Sunday afternoon, police had not released the identities of those killed, and The Press has said it will not disclose the names of the victims because those involved were minors.
Witness Account Points to Vehicle Reversing Before Impact
Preliminary dispatch records cited by Contra Costa News indicated a witness reported the silver Infiniti was reversing in the roadway just before it collided with the BMW, according to Contra Costa News. That impact reportedly sent both vehicles off the roadway and into an embankment. Emergency responders located four patients at the rural crash site, including juveniles, the outlet reported.
The Hoodline coverage linked above says an autopsy is required when the cause of a fatal collision is unclear and that blood-alcohol and biological-drug screening is required for a driver who dies in a motor-vehicle collision. Whether speed or impairment played a role in Saturday night's collision remains an open question police have not yet answered.
Liberty High Mobilizes Counseling for Grieving Students
Liberty High School Principal Efa Huckaby sent a letter to parents and the community confirming that two Liberty High School students had died and another was injured in the crash. District student services personnel, counselors, and support staff were set to be on campus throughout Monday to help grieving students, and the school said it would offer additional counseling and support services that day.
Huckaby, who was named the 2024 ACSA Secondary Principal of the Year, according to the EdCal, sent the letter. Liberty High is part of the Liberty Union High School District, according to California Department of Education records.
A Road With a Known History of Nighttime Crashes
The stretch of Deer Valley Road where the crash occurred has been discussed in connection with roadway safety.
Contra Costa County Public Works has a Deer Valley Road Traffic Safety Improvements Project. The project includes traffic control restrictions and message boards meant to improve long-term corridor safety. Nearby, the broader transportation context is also relevant.
Deer Valley Road also serves as part of the local transportation network. The corridor's importance to local travel underscores why the crash has drawn attention from county planners as well as grieving families.
Antioch police are asking witnesses and anyone with surveillance or dashcam footage of the crash to contact Sergeant Green at 925-779-6864 as the investigation continues. The status of the two injured survivors, along with the outcome of the pending toxicology and coroner findings, remains unknown for now.
