3 months ago
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - A Hayward man was killed Monday morning when the big-rig he was driving went out of control and plunged over the side of the Bay Bridge, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.
The accident happened at about 3:30 a.m. when the driver of a westbound big-rig carrying a full load of pears lost control on the bridge's S-curve and went over a traffic barrier, falling about 200 feet to Yerba Buena Island below, CHP Officer Trent Cross said.
The driver was killed and the truck was left a pile of mangled debris. The driver worked for a trucking company based in San Ramon, Cross said. His name has not yet been released.
The truck log showed the driver filled up the rig right before the crash, and it was carrying 150 gallons of fuel before the crash.
Cross said the driver was speeding at about 50 mph when the crash happened. Officers said there were no skid marks on the road to suggest the driver tried to brake.
The speed limit on most of the bridge is 50 mph, but the limit drops to 40 mph on the S-curve, with a maximum of 35 mph recommended on the sharpest curves.
Safety has been an issue on the S-curve since the temporary section of roadway was put into place over the Labor Day weekend. Cross said Monday's accident was the 44th crash on that stretch.
Most of the accidents on the S-curve have been fender-benders, according to the CHP.
Caltrans spokesman Bob Haus said the problem is drivers' speed rather than the S-curve itself.
"Nothing is wrong with the design," he said.
Drivers simply need to slow down, Haus said. "Every single accident has been the result of speed."
"This isn't a road design issue, this is a driver issue," Cross said.
During the bridge's recent unexpected closure, Caltrans installed reflectors and raised bumps between lanes on the S-curve so that drivers can feel the bumps when they begin to veer out of their lanes, Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said.
Caltrans also laid down a grit surface over a steel section of the S-curve to provide better traction, Ney said.
In the next month, the agency will install additional permanent signage alerting drivers of the lower speed limit on the S-curve as well as radar signs that show drivers their speeds as they pass, Ney said. Caltrans will also place reflective striping on the barriers along the edge of the roadway on both decks.
Less than two weeks after the S-curve was opened, analysis showed the drive from San Francisco to Oakland during the evening commute took 57 percent longer on average than a year ago, according to data compiled by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Monday morning's crash caused only superficial damage to the bridge, but Monday night Caltrans will be repairing some signage that was damaged, he said.
KXTV/News10 and Bay City News
