Man Killed In I-80 Crockett Crash Is Identified

CROCKETT - A man who died in one of the back-to-back crashes that occurred in the same area of Interstate Highway 80 in Crockett today has been identified by the Contra Costa County coroner's office as 25-year-old Angel Valenzuela.

Valenzuela, a Davis resident, suffered fatal injuries in a crash that involved a big-rig and three other vehicles on eastbound Highway 80 near the Cummings Skyway on-ramp, according to the California Highway Patrol.

At 3:24 a.m. today, a big-rig and Valenzuela's Mazda sedan collided in an area of the highway where lanes tapered off for overnight Caltrans work, CHP Officer Brandon Correia said.

The vehicles were pushed toward the center divider and careened back into traffic after crashing into the divider. Three more vehicles then crashed while trying to avoid the wreck, Correia said.

Valenzuela was pronounced dead at the scene and four others suffered minor injuries, Correia said.

Before that collision, at 1:35 a.m. in the same area, another collision occurred when an ambulance rear-ended a sedan that was slowing for the construction zone, Correia said.

All three occupants of the ambulance suffered major injuries while the sole occupant of the sedan suffered minor injuries.

The Winters woman driving the ambulance was taken to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo and the two passengers, an Alameda man and a San Francisco woman, were taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

As of Thursday morning, all were in stable condition.

Both of the incidents are still being investigated, but Correia said preliminary information indicates that drugs or alcohol are not considered factors in the crashes.

Anyone who has additional information on either crash is asked to call the CHP at (925) 646-4980.

-Bay City News, embed courtesy KRON4, image via ShutterStock