A minivan driver died Wednesday morning near El Cerrito after the California Highway Patrol said he had a flat tire, and weaved in traffic before hitting a center divide and flipped over.
CHP Officer Brent Logar said officers spotted the minivan in distress about 2:30 a.m. on the Central Avenue onramp to westbound Interstate Highway 80. When Logar tried to stop to help out - the minivan had a flat tire - the driver didn't stop, but weaved in traffic, Logar said. At that point, Logar said he suspected the driver had been drinking, but it's unclear if he was weaving because he was under the influence or because he was having car trouble.
About a mile later, the minivan crashed, hit a center divide, and flipped on its side.
The driver - the only person inside the car - was pronounced dead. A Sig-Alert was issued for the Central Avenue onramp.
Authorities will have to wait for the coroner to conduct toxicology tests to positively determine if the driver had been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
