A fatal crash on I-80 in Richmond Wednesday morning appears to be a case of road rage.
A witness told police the driver who died in the crash "brake checked" the GMC truck in the moments before he crashed and then rolled his mini-van. It was not clear what happened that would have motivated an act of road rage.
A brake check is when you speed in front of a car and then tap your breaks in an effort to cause the driver behind you to slam on their brakes.
The CHP said they can't confirm that is what caused the crash, but they say the driver who died did make an unsafe lane change prior to the collision. Investigators said during the brake check maneuver, the minivan might have lost control. The van hit the center divider and rolled several times, according to police.
The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. on westbound I-80 just west of Carlson Boulevard. Lanes were not clear until about 8 a.m.
No one other than the driver of the van was hurt.
Anyone with information on the collision is asked to call the Oakland-area CHP office at (510) 450-3821 or (800) TELL-CHP.
"These types of incidents are completely avoidable when people drive responsibly," CHP Officer Sam Morgan told Bay City News.
