Fatal Crash Wrecks Sunday Traffic

Traffic on U.S. Highway 101 in San Mateo was limited to one lane in north and southbound directions for hours Sunday  after a multi-vehicle crash killed two people in the early morning hours.
     
The California Highway Patrol remained at the scene as of  1  p.m. investigating the fatal crash, which occurred just before 3 a.m., CHP  Officer A. Paulson said.
     
The San Mateo County coroner's office identified the two people killed in the crash as Steven Pereira, 26, of Titusville, Fla.,  and Stacy White, 39, of San Mateo.
     
Preliminary reports at about 2:50 a.m. were of a dark-colored sedan driving north in southbound lanes near Hillsdale Boulevard, Paulson  said.
     
Another vehicle apparently hit the wrong-way driver and crashed into the center divider. A motorcycle was reported to have fallen over in the  same area, but it is unknown if that was related to the crash, Paulson said.
     
At 3:51 a.m., several cars hoping to avoid congestion tried to turn around and drive north in the southbound lanes. The CHP quickly quelled  the wrong-way traffic with assistance from San Mateo police, Paulson said.
     
A Sig-alert was issued at 3:09 a.m. and will remain in effect into the afternoon, according to the CHP.
     
The CHP is recommending that motorists heading south use Interstate Highway 280 and northbound drivers such as those heading to San  Francisco International Airport take Highway 280 to northbound El Camino Real.