A driver who may have been intoxicated died in a crash that left three children from his car and another driver with major injuries late Sunday on State Route 160 just north of the Antioch Bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The wreck was reported about 10:20 p.m. on the two-lane highway between the Antioch Bridge and State Route 12, the CHP said. The area is in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in southern Sacramento County.
A Mazda reportedly traveling southbound at a high rate of speed went over the double yellow lines and into the opposing lane of traffic, colliding with an oncoming Audi, according to CHP spokesman Officer Mark Leavitt. The Mazda overturned and the Audi spun out to the right shoulder.
The Mazda’s driver, a 38-year-old San Ramon man who may have been intoxicated, was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene, Leavitt said.
Two boys in the Mazda’s back seat, ages 6 and 4, were not wearing seatbelts and sustained major injuries. A 15-year-old girl in the front passenger seat may have been wearing a seatbelt, Leavitt said. All three children were hospitalized.
The driver of the Audi, a 71-year-old woman from Rio Vista, was hospitalized with major injuries and was in stable condition on Monday.
Interviews with witnesses indicated that the driver may have been intoxicated and driving recklessly, according to the CHP.
6 and 4 not wearing seatbelts. Great parents. These kids are doomed.
Don’t forget drinking while driving, unbuckled kids and speeding. Father of the year.
For sure Mika.
Aren’t children that young supposed to be in child-safety seats or booster seats?
If you could comprehend anything that you read(assuming you read) in the above article it’s obvious that the parents weren’t there. It also says the supposedly intoxicated driver was in the other car.
I feel sorry for the kids and parents. It was not their fault at all and now they have to go through this.
@Redeye
I think that you were the one that read it incorrectly. The Mazda driver was the reckless one.
Thoughts and prayer for the injured.
Prayers for the families of the injured too.
Another possible DUI tragedy.
Green light for TRAUMA NURSE!
As my former Army niece says when I ride in her car: Buckle up Buttercup.
I used to tell one son that the car can’t start until the seat belts are buckled.
Funny, we had two different cars in the 70s that would not start unless both front seat passengers had their seat belts buckled. I guess they’ve done away with that feature.. didn’t realize since we always fasten our seatbelts.
Horrible wreck! They all seem to start around memorial Day. I am kind of glad that no one else was killed…. Only the driver who was drunk himself. No one else. Still very sad.
Ricardoh, you know that kids 4 to 6 are capable of taking off their seat belts, you do have children right?
Three and they never took their seat belts off once we bought a car that had seat belts. I can remember my oldest son standing on the hump of the car playing with the radio and bouncing up and down while we were driving down the highway at 70 mph. He was a little over one. Shortly after that we purchased a new car that had seat belts. You live and learn, but by now everyone should have learned.
Federal law they must be in a car seat until 70 lbs? Or state law? Parents know but he chose to ignore the law. Suffer the consequences and your children are suffering too.
Seriously? You’re going to go there????
Always wear your seatbelt and your mask. They both save lives.
I drive 160 a couple of times a week to visit family. in Rio Vista. It’s a dangerous road and people are constantly speeding. Had a moron right on my tail yesterday. There’s no place to go but off the road on most stretches and some places the side of the road simply drops off into a farm field below. Prayers for the children and the driver of the Audi. I have no sympathy whatsoever for the driver if he was intoxicated.
I drove under the influence of alcohol on more than one occasion during high school. Then I grew up. To be driving under the influence at the age of 38 with two young children in the car is inexcusable.
Looks to me like Alcohol related Anything is a HUGE problem…….even bigger than the gun issue.
Time to BAN alcohol.
Since prohibition worked out so well the first time…
+100 to Anon. Alcohol kills way more people and wrecks more families than guns every year. Clean and Sober is the only way to really live a good life. Sorry to be so honest!
As so often, the innocent pay for the recklessness of others. That sure happened here.
Maybe all vehicles should have those intoxicated-detector devices which prevent starting or driving a car while smashed?
It would have saved these innocents from the pain following this incident.
No sympathies however, for the dead drunk. His death may save others.
DUI charge should be Attempted Murder. Would you give a loaded gun to a drunk in a room full of people? Drastic changes are needed or this will continue.
30 years as a paramedic in CoCo County I served. Just reading this brings back flashbacks of bad things I saw. Words are not enough to describe what happened here.
👍
So sad this carnage caused by someone who not only (may have) decided to drive drunk and didn’t at least have his kids buckled up.
Grew up in Antioch and lived there into adulthood until it became too unbearable an s-hole to stay any longer…been over the bridge and on the river road hundreds of times, some safety improvements have been made over the years but still extremely dangerous.
One of those dangers is exactly what happened here, someone crossing over into your lane…not that it’s a 100% preventive measure by any stretch, but one of a few things I do on that and similar type undivided roads when feasible is hug a little closer to the shoulder on my side, that small extra distance and fraction of a second reaction time could make a difference if oncoming crosses over.
Also that road with all the surrounding water is why as a teen I started carrying a window punch/belt-cutting tool, still today have one in all our cars that’s secured within arm’s reach.
Paul Pelosi out driving already?