DAVIS, Calif. — An infant has died after a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 in Davis that closed eastbound lanes for several hours Thursday morning, a California Highway Patrol spokesperson said.
Heavy fog is believed to be a factor in the crash at Richards Boulevard, officer Dave Harvey with CHP’s Solano division said.
Around 4:40 a.m., a Toyota Avalon collided with a center divider then traveled back into the roadway where it came to a rest, Harvey said. Other collisions followed involving a box truck and a Toyota Tacoma.
The one-year-old infant was ejected from the Avalon and two others in the car suffered major injuries, Harvey said.
“Anytime a child is injured in a collision or is pronounced deceased because of a collision, it is a very difficult thing to see,” Harvey said.
The Avalon’s driver, identified as 42-year-old Robert Williams, was taken to Kaiser’s hospital in Vacaville, CHP said. The female passenger, 50-year-old Linda Jones, was hospitalized at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
The driver of the Tacoma suffered minor injuries and the box truck driver was uninjured, Harvey said.
Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be a factor in the collisions, Harvey said.
Traffic backed up and all eastbound drivers were told to use Highway 113 north and drive with caution in the area.
The roadway was cleared of debris and lanes reopened after 8:30 a.m.
CHP officers say road accidents tend to increase when there’s a change in weather such as fog or rain.
Because of this, they do emphasize that drivers should keep a greater distance between vehicles to avoid any accidents, as visibility remains low.
“The speed limit on the posted sign is designed for optimal road conditions. When it’s foggy, it’s wet, you can’t see — hard visibility, so it’s going to take a little bit longer for your vehicle to stop should you have to emergency brake or brake really hard,” said A.J. McTaggart, a spokesperson with the North Sacramento CHP division.
Drivers off Richards Boulevard in Davis said the past few days have been especially difficult for commuting.
“It’s pretty scary actually. I live in Woodland, so driving from the backroads, it gets pretty thick on those roads and it’s pretty blinding,” said Amanda Pattillo, a Woodland resident.
John Mendoza, a Bay Area resident who commutes more than 50 miles every day for work, says he’s extra cautious these days.
“Usually I come in from Oakland, but when I get past Fairfield and Davis, it’s pretty stocked in. So, you have to slow down and pay attention. The visibility is really poor.”
Neither UC Davis Medical Center nor Kaiser Permanente were able to provide more details on the condition of the victims.