BAY POINT — A person died early Thursday after an SUV slammed into a Jeep on a East Bay highway that has already seen a dozen deaths this year, the California Highway Patrol said.
The crash on eastbound state Highway 4 near the San Marco Boulevard exit killed the driver of the Jeep and sent the SUV driver to the hospital with what the CHP deemed minor injuries. Authorities did not identify the Jeep driver early Thursday, pending notification of relatives.
The Jeep driver is the 12th person to die on Highway 4 in a crash this year, according to statistics kept by the Bay Area News Group. There have now been 10 fatal wrecks on the highway.
CHP Officer Adam Lane said the Jeep Cherokee was disabled and stopped between the center divide and fast lane in the eastbound direction about 1:55 a.m., because it had been involved in a previous crash.
A driver of a Honda Pilot smashed into the Jeep while it was disabled, Lane said. The Jeep driver died at the scene.
The CHP did not say whether they suspected drug or alcohol use or excessive speed to be factors in the crash.
The wreck remains under investigation, and the agency urged any witnesses to the crash or the previous one involving the Jeep to contact its Contra Costa office at 925-646-4980. Information also can be emailed to 320investigations@chp.ca.gov.