One person was killed and several were injured after a suspected drunk driver caused a chain-reaction crash on the northbound 5 early Friday, June 5th. The crash occurred around 4:15 a.m. on an Interstate 5 on-ramp at 43rd Avenue in Sacramento.
The original crash only involved the suspected drunk driver. According to witnesses, the suspected drunk driver lost control of his vehicle on the on-ramp, hit a wall, spun out, and struck a light pole. After the crash, the drunk driver exited his vehicle in an attempt to avoid authorities, but instead forced a truck to swerve to avoid him, causing the truck to crash. Four other vehicles then crashed on the Interstate. The traffic fatality was a driver or passenger in one of these four vehicles.
At least three people, including a passenger in the suspected drunk driver’s vehicle, were taken to local hospitals for their injuries. The suspected drunk driver was arrested on felony charges of driving under the influence. The 43rd Avenue on-ramp and some lanes of the north 5 were closed for several hours for cleanup and investigation.
