FILE: California Highway Patrol
BAY POINT — A driver who was speeding on Highway 4 died late Tuesday after losing control and crashing into a tree and light pole, the California Highway Patrol said.
The wreck happened about 11:20 p.m. on westbound Highway 4 near the Bailey Road exit, according to the agency.
Authorities did not identify the man who was driving, pending notification of his next of kin. First responders pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The crash marks the fourth fatal one on Highway 4 in 2023. None have resulted in more than one death.
There have been eight fatal crashes on Highway 4 since Nov. 16, 2022, the day five people, including three children, died in a wrong-way collision just west of the Loveridge Road exit on the westbound side.
In 2022, a total of 19 people died in 15 fatal crashes on the highway. Sixteen people died in 15 fatal crashes on Highway 4 in 2021.
In a statement, the CHP said the driver was speeding in a GMC Envoy when he left the lane and smashed into the center divide. The Envoy then went back across the freeway and hit a light pole and tree that were along the right shoulder.
No other cars were involved, and nobody else was inside the Envoy.
The CHP asked anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact them at 925-646-4980.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Originally published at Rick Hurd