WALNUT CREEK — A man who investigators believe crashed his car on a Walnut Creek thoroughfare died Friday morning after running into traffic, according to city officials.
The fatality, just after 7 a.m., shut down the eastbound direction of Ygnacio Valley Road near Oak Grove Road for nearly five hours, according to city officials.
Authorities did not identify the man immediately.
According to a statement from city spokeswoman Betsy Burkhart, the first report was that a vehicle crashed into a sound wall on the south side of Ygnacio Valley Road about 500 yards east of Oak Grove Road. The vehicle appeared to have sustained heavy damage, she said.
Following the first call, another driver called to report hitting a man who had run in front of her vehicle near the scene of the first crash, according to Burkhart.
Authorities pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Investigators said evidence leads them to believe the pedestrian who was fatally hit was the driver of the vehicle that crashed into the sound wall, Burkhart said.
A major accident investigation team was at the scene for more than five hours. Authorities re-opened the roadway at noon.
Ygnacio Valley Road connects Walnut Creek and Pittsburg and is used by many commuters to bypass Interstate 680 and Highway 4. The crash happened in the opposite direction of the normal morning commute.
Source: www.mercurynews.com