Man Drives Wrong Way for 9 Miles Before Fatal Crash in Benicia

By Bay City News

A male was killed in a car crash after driving about nine miles in the wrong direction on interstate highways 80 and 680 in Solano County Sunday night, a California Highway Patrol officer said. 

The CHP responded to a report of a collision on northbound Interstate Highway 680 near Marshview Road in Benicia at about 8 p.m., Officer Ralph Caggiano said.    

Caggiano said the collision involved a Toyota Corolla and a Hummer H2, killing the driver of the Corolla. The Hummer driver was transported to a hospital and treated for minor injuries, he said. 

Investigators learned that the male driving the Corolla got onto eastbound Interstate Highway 80, near the Rio Vista-Suisun City state Highway 12 off-ramp in Suisun, driving west, Caggiano said. 

He continued driving the wrong direction on Highway 80 then transferred onto northbound Highway 680 driving south, Caggiano said.  

After driving nearly nine miles, the Corolla and Hummer collided in the fast lane, causing major traffic backups, Caggiano said. 

A Sig-alert was issued at 8:15 p.m. when the CHP closed both northbound Highway 680 lanes, Caggiano said. 

All lanes reopened at 10:10 p.m., he said.  

It is unknown whether the wrong-way driver, whose name has not yet been released, was impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, Caggiano said.
The CHP is investigating the crash.