A 27-year-old Antioch man who died after a rollover crash off of Byron Highway in eastern Contra Costa County early Monday morning has been identified by the county coroner's office as Curtis Denton Jr., a local rapper known as Young Curt.
California Highway Patrol officers had responded at 2:04 a.m. to Byron Highway just north of Holey Road and found Denton lying on the dirt shoulder outside of a 2019 Dodge Charger. An ambulance took him to a hospital in Antioch but he died of his injuries there.
Investigators determined Denton was speeding south on Byron Highway and didn't navigate a turn in the roadway, striking the dirt shoulder and rolling the vehicle over several times, according to the CHP.
He was apparently not wearing a seat belt and was ejected through the sunroof. Authorities have not determined if impairment was a factor in the crash, CHP officials said.
People on social media mourned the death Monday.
"Every time me & @YoungCurt had a conversation it was always about supporting his music," one person wrote on Twitter. "He loved the Bay Area so much. He spoke thru his lyrics."
