A 20-year-old woman was killed on Highway 4 in Antioch early Sunday after stepping out of a stopped vehicle and walking into active eastbound lanes to retrieve an item she had lost, according to the California Highway Patrol. She was struck by two vehicles around 2:30 a.m. near Contra Loma Boulevard, and the drivers involved stopped and cooperated with investigators, who said drugs or alcohol are not suspected as factors in the crash.
The woman had been riding as a passenger when the driver pulled over in the center median just east of Contra Loma Boulevard, according to KRON4. She exited the vehicle and walked into the lanes of traffic, where she was fatally struck. The California Highway Patrol said the collision happened around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
The crash triggered a lengthy shutdown of the freeway. Following the 2:31 a.m. collision, CHP closed all eastbound lanes of Highway 4 east of Contra Loma Boulevard from roughly 2:49 a.m. to 5:27 a.m. for scene investigation, while Antioch Police closed the Contra Loma Boulevard eastbound on-ramp, per Contra Costa News.
CHP Seeks Witnesses as Investigation Continues
The CHP Contra Costa Area office in Martinez is asking anyone who witnessed the crash, or who has information about the sequence of events leading up to it, to contact investigators at 925-387-1900 or by email at [email protected], according to the Antioch Herald. The agency's preliminary account establishes how the woman ended up in the roadway, but investigators have not issued a final determination of fault.
Under California Vehicle Code Section 21960, Caltrans and local authorities may prohibit or restrict pedestrian access by order or ordinance, with required signs.
A Pattern of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes Near the Same Corridor
Sunday's crash is the latest in a string of pedestrian deaths along the Highway 4 corridor in Antioch. On August 22, a 33-year-old woman was fatally struck in a hit-and-run crosswalk collision near the Highway 4 and Hillcrest Avenue interchange, a case Hoodline previously covered. In December 2025, a pedestrian fleeing law enforcement was struck and killed on Highway 4 near the Somersville Road exit, just west of Contra Loma Boulevard, shutting down eastbound lanes for three hours.
Pedestrians and bicyclists account for roughly 40% of all traffic-related severe injuries and fatalities in Contra Costa County, according to Contra Costa Health Services.
October is recognized nationally as Pedestrian Safety Month, a designation meant to raise awareness of pedestrian safety.
