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A juvenile passenger died from injuries they sustained in a head-on collision on Highway 84 near Sunol on Sunday morning, marking the fifth traffic fatality in 10 days for the greater Tri-Valley.
The situation unfolded at about 6:05 a.m. Sunday when the reports first came in about a serious two-vehicle collision on Highway 84 east of the Interstate 680 interchange, according to Officer Tyler Hahn of the California Highway Patrol’s Dublin office.
The driver of a white Chevrolet Tahoe in the westbound lane decided to turn to the left into the eastbound lane for unknown reasons. “As a result of the unsafe turning movement, the front of the white Chevrolet Tahoe collided head-on with a black Dodge Charger,” Hahn said.
Both drivers, as well as three passengers in the Charger, were transported to area hospitals with major injuries, including two who were airlifted by helicopter. One passenger from the Charger succumbed to their injuries later Sunday morning, according to Hahn.
The decedent’s name has not yet been released by the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau, but Hahn confirmed the victim was a juvenile.
The four surviving parties remain under treatment for major injuries, according to the officer.
The circumstances of the collision remain under investigation, although alcohol and drug impairment are not suspected factors at this time, Hahn said. He encouraged any witnesses to contact the CHP-Dublin office at 925-828-0466.
Sunday morning’s fatality represents the latest in a string of five deadly car crashes in the greater Tri-Valley since Aug. 26 — all within CHP-Dublin’s investigative jurisdiction.
Tracy resident Jonathan Welch, 20, was killed after his vehicle went off the roadway out of control on the Interstate 580 off-ramp at Isabel Avenue/Highway 84 at about 1:30 a.m. Aug. 26.
Late the next night, six Livermore High School students were injured when the pickup truck they rode in lost control on Del Valle Road near Mines Road and rolled down a steep embankment around 11:30 p.m. Hunter Diemert, 15, was pronounced dead from his injuries at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek shortly after midnight on Aug. 28.
On Aug. 30, 56-year-old Concord resident Judy Rae Airaksinen died after she was struck by a vehicle while walking in I-680 travel lanes near Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon just before 1 a.m.
Then three days later, another person was killed while walking on a freeway — this time on I-580 near the Las Colinas Road overpass in Livermore at about 4 a.m. The identity of the decedent in the Thursday morning collision has not been publicly released yet.
In their infinite wisdom during “construction”, the Highway 84 construction crew a couple of months back removed the wisely installed safety dots between lanes that jarringly woke up anyone who drifted / crossed over lanes.
These were literally 3 inches apart. Lacking an actual physical barrier, it had worked to keep these high speed lanes apart.
Now with their removal and without anything separating the lanes, this early
Morning tragedy has unfolded.
Wonder how many months or years they will have this construction continue with their actions without thoughts to local driver safety. They do have 3 ft high concrete barriers for their own safety, while squeezing the actual drivers head on into each other
How about the change in lane configuration where NB 680 connects with Hiway 84? If one is driving in the slow lane on 680 the lane suddenly disappears at the offramp to 84. The driver is forced to suddenly go left into the adjacent lane — it’s especially fun if traffic is bearing down on you from that adjacent lane!
To VP:
Reliance on traffic dots is not the safest way to drive. Seriously we do not allow the blind to drive nor should we allow those who cannot or will not make driving their first and only responsibility while behind the wheel. Instead of complaining slow down and actually pay attention to the road. Facebook and your most recent text can wait.
To Carole Lee Manning:
Driving requires a level of reading and paying attention that people fail at all the time. Claiming ignorance of lane configurations is only proof that you either fail to watch traffic signs or you are driving without your full attention on the road. Driving has never been a passive activity. Blaming the road? Please own your failure to pay attention.
Mike. I wholly agree with you. But one cannot control for the person in the opposite lane who falls asleep at the wheel.
In that case, I (and you too) would be much more happier if there were traffic dots (which was the case before) to wake them up as opposed to preaching about their personal responsibility.
Let’s Find a solution, implement a solution for everyone’s benefit vs. hope that people will be more responsible.