A fiery crash that killed two people on Highway 4 in Brentwood on Wednesday night and created a situation with hazardous materials was caused by reckless driving, the California Highway Patrol said.
The two-vehicle collision created a dangerous battery fire when one of the vehicles, which was electric, burst into flames. The crash and fire prompted the CHP to shut down a portion of the highway for several hours.
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WATCH HERECHP officers were called to the scene near Fairview Avenue on Highway 4 at 10:18 p.m. and discovered two vehicles that appeared to have collided head-on in the eastbound lane, CHP Officer Daniel Gilmore said. Both drivers were declared dead at the scene.
According to an investigation, an Acura was traveling west on Highway 4 "in a reckless manner" and crossed over the double yellow lines into the eastbound lane, crashing head-on into a Nissan electric compact SUV, according to the CHP.
The Nissan became engulfed in flames, so much so that CHP officers and other first responders could not approach it, Gilmore said. At the time, it was not known how many people were in the vehicle. On Thursday, the CHP said both cars contained only their drivers.
Due to the hazardous nature of the Nissan's battery being on fire, the scene became a hazmat situation, Gilmore said.
Both lanes on Highway 4 were closed from about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday to 5:30 a.m. Thursday as the investigation was carried out on-scene. The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation and the names of the deceased have not been released.
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