Crosstown Freeway Traffic Death
Traffic was backed up along the westbound connector ramp from Highway 99 to Highway 4 near Stockton while authorities investigated fatal accidents. This caused quite a delay for holiday travelers trying to make their way out of town for Thanksgiving. The entire on-ramp to Highway 4 had to be shut down while officers tried to piece together the sequence of events leading up to a man being shot to death in his car.
What Happened?
The incident was reported as a car crash just before 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, 2016. A witness called 9-1-1 to say they observed a silver BMW swerving off the highway and crashing into a median before finally coming to a rest. When authorities arrived, they found the car in a ditch along a transition road. Officers said the vehicle appeared to have been hit multiple times by gunshots. Sadly, the victim inside the BMW suffered a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Officers said the California Highway Patrol (CHP) had initially arrived on the scene to what they thought was a report of a single-car crash. They were not expecting to find a vehicle riddled with bullet holes, and a victim passed away inside due to a fatal gunshot wound. Officers located multiple bullet casings in the vicinity and have preserved the same as evidence of a crime.
Crime Scene Shuts Down Highway 4 Near Stockton
Officials blocked off a large area around where the vehicle crashed and the transition road to Highway 4. Officers expected to be conducting their investigation late into the evening. They have the task of trying to figure out why this person was shot near the Crosstown Freeway. At this stage of the investigation, it is unclear if this was a random shooting, a planned homicide, or some other type of accidental injury.
We extend our condolences to the friends and family members of the man who tragically lost his life due to a fatal gunshot wound on the eve before Thanksgiving. We hope whoever is responsible for this incident turns him or herself in or is swiftly brought to justice.
This Incident Brings to Mind the East Bay Highway Shootings
Approximately 24 shootings took place during the past several months along East Bay Highways.
Here is a timeline of those incidents:
May 16, 2016
Antioch police said that shortly after 4 p.m. on that Monday a shooting happened on Sycamore Drive in the vicinity of L Street. Several suspects were involved and taken into custody.
Police said four of those suspects were later arrested. Officers said several rounds were shot by a rifle, but thankfully, the gunfire did not injure any victims.
May 12, 2016
A shooting on Interstate Highway 80 in Hercules caused a crash and sent one man to the hospital, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Pittsburg police said the shooting was targeted.
May 11, 2016
A mother of four passed away after being shot on state Highway 4 in Pittsburg. She was one of two people shot in a car on the westbound side of the highway near Railroad Avenue at 10:47 a.m.
April 19, 2016
This shooting occurred on westbound Highway 4 near the Loveridge Road exit. All westbound lanes had to be shut down.
A vehicle reportedly drove off the highway, took down a fence, and drove into Pittsburg. No other details were available to us.
April 10, 2016
Authorities went on the hunt for two suspected gunmen involved in an Interstate 80 eastbound shooting in Richmond, according to officials with the California Highway Patrol.
April 8, 2016
A suspected gunman was apprehended and arrested in connection with a freeway shooting on state Highway 4 in Pittsburg, according to CHP. The man was a suspected gang member.
East Bay Highway Shootings Simmer Down
Thankfully, things have simmered down out in the East Bay. We hope the Crosstown freeway traffic fatality was an isolated (albeit tragic) event and not the beginning of shootings along San Joaquin County highways.
Crosstown Freeway Traffic Fatality Witnesses Sought
If you have any information that may help investigators, or if you witnessed anything suspicious or heard gunshots near the westbound connector ramp from Highway 99 to Highway 4 near Stockton, you are encouraged to call the California Highway Patrol or the Stockton Police Department. If you have a tip leading investigators to an arrest, you may ask to remain anonymous.
Stockton Auto Accident & Wrongful Death Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton auto accident attorney. If you or someone you care about has been seriously injured in a car wreck, motorcycle accident, or trucking accident in Stockton, please call me at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
I’ve been helping injured victims in Stockton, and their family members recover compensation for wrongful death and personal injury claims since 1982. Give me a call, and we’ll go over the details of your accident case. There is no obligation to you, and it’s free to talk to me by phone.
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Source of Crosstown Freeway Fatality – KCRA 3 news
Image Source – Wikimedia Commons
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