Driver Killed, Big Rig Sought In I-80 Crash In Albany
ALBANY (BCN) - A man died in a crash involving a big-rig on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 in Albany Wednesday morning, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.
Investigators are still looking for the big-rig, which did not stop after the collision and whose driver may not even be aware of the incident, CHP Officer Sam Morgan said.
The crash was reported at about 9 a.m. near the Buchanan Street off-ramp from eastbound Highway 80, Morgan said.
Witnesses reported seeing a white Toyota Corolla travel in and out of lanes on the highway then collide with the right rear corner of the big-rig's trailer, Morgan said.
The collision caused the driver of the Corolla to lose control, and the car traveled through a small brush area before coming to rest on the Buchanan Street off-ramp. The driver, who was alone in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene, Morgan said.
Although the big-rig did not stop at the scene, the crash is not necessarily being investigated as a hit-and-run because the driver of the Corolla appears to be at fault and the big-rig driver may not know an accident occurred, Morgan said.
"That's not unusual because of the weight disparity between the smaller and larger vehicles," he said.
Authorities are continuing to look for the big-rig, which has a rust-colored trailer, Morgan said.
The Buchanan Street off-ramp was closed for nearly two and a half hours for the investigation into the crash.
The ramp was reopened at 11:25 a.m. when investigators from the CHP and Alameda County coroner's bureau cleared the scene.
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