Man Killed When Taxi Goes Airborne, Flips On I-680/I-80 Freeways Identified

The California Highway Patrol has identified a man who died in a taxi crash near the interchange of Interstate Highways 680 and 80 early this morning as Alexander Sassman, 51, of Loyalton in Sierra County.

Sassman was seated in the right rear seat of a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria that went off of the transition road between the interchange in Fairfield around 1 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Vitaliy Kravchuk said.

[Previous: One Dead, Two Injured After Taxi Leaves I-80/I-680 Freeways.]

The Ford driver, Berhe Tekle Alem, 52, of San Jose was traveling north on I-680 to eastbound I-80 at 60 to 65 mph when he lost control of the vehicle and allowed it to go off the right side of the transition road, Kravchuk said.

The Ford became airborne, overturned and landed on Central Way. All three occupants were wearing seatbelts, according to the CHP.

Alem suffered minor injuries and Jeffrey Scott Moffitt, 51, of Pollock Pines, who was seated in the left rear seat, suffered major injuries.

Both men were taken to NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, Kravchuk said.

Firefighters pronounced Sassman dead at 1:33 a.m.

--Bay City News

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