Four people, including a tow truck driver in his 60s, a 22-year-old and two teens, were killed in a bizarre accident on Interstate Highway 280 in San Francisco at around 1:20 p.m. today, according to the California Highway Patrol.
"It's one of those freak accidents," said Neville Gittens, spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department.
The CHP said a yellow tow truck got into a traffic accident with another vehicle while traveling north on Alemany Boulevard near the overpass with I-280. Officer Shawn Chase said the collision caused the tow truck driver, a male who is believed to be in his 60s, to swerve out of control.
The tow truck drove through the guardrail and careened through all four lanes of northbound I-280. Chase said the truck then crashed through a fence and another guardrail and launched into the air, traveling about 40 feet in the air and landing in the southbound lanes of I-280 atop a Toyota 4-Runner.
Chase said three people, a 22-year-old, a 16-year-old and an 11-year-old, were killed in the 4-Runner. The names of the victims in the 4-Runner have not yet been released. The tow-truck driver was also pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not yet been released.
"I've seen some pretty grisly injuries," Chase said. "I've never seen anything like this."
The vehicle involved in the initial crash and another vehicle hit on I-280 suffered only minor damages. Chase said all lanes of southbound I-280 and one lane of northbound I-280 were closed for several hours because of the accident.
At least one person was injured and taken to San Francisco General Hospital, according to spokeswoman Gloria Rodriguez. The injured person's family had requested that no information be released, Rodriguez said.