FREMONT — A five-car crash that started when a big rig loaded with refrigerated meat lost control on a Bay Area freeway ended with one person dead and a traffic backup for miles Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.
Authorities did not identify the dead person Thursday morning, pending notification of family members. The crash happened about 7:05 a.m. on southbound Interstate 680 just north of the Mission Boulevard exit.
The big rig jackknifed approximately 20 feet off the roadway and down an embankment, according to the CHP. It had tens of thousands of pounds of refrigerated meat, including approximately 10,000 pounds of beef, the CHP said.
CHP spokesperson Officer Robert Purl said a person driving another car died. One other person suffered minor injuries, he said.
Four other vehicles besides the big rig were involved, Purl said. The CHP originally said six cars were in the wreck.
The aftermath left every lane of southbound I-680 blocked except for the express lane. The CHP issued a Sig Alert for severe traffic at 7:45 a.m. It remained in effect at 10 a.m., though the CHP had opened all but the far two right lanes.
Purl did not have an estimate for when all the lanes would re-open. The process could be slowed by the towing of the big rig, a complicated process that may be additionally difficult because the CHP needs to preserve evidence of the fatality.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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