3 in custody, 1 hospitalized after wrong way crash on Hwy 4 in Antioch

ANTIOCH, Calif. -- A police pursuit in which a motorist drove into oncoming traffic early this morning in Antioch ended in a collision that left one person with major injuries, according to police.

Antioch police said the pursuit began at 12:45 a.m., when a stolen BMW fled from an officer after an attempted traffic stop near East 18th Street and Cavallo Road.

The suspect vehicle traveled in the wrong direction on eastbound state Highway 4 from Hillcrest Avenue, which prompted the officer to immediately terminate the pursuit, according to police.

A short time later, near the Hillcrest Avenue overpass, the BMW crashed head-on into a Dodge sedan, police said.

Police saw the collision and called in the California Highway Patrol and medical personnel for assistance.

The driver of the sedan suffered major injuries in the crash including a compound fracture to the left femur, and was taken to the hospital.

At the scene, all three of the occupants of the BMW fled on foot. Police said they were soon found on a street under the highway and were taken into custody.

Police identified Ricky Barnette, 33, of Concord, as the driver of the BMW. Neither he nor the vehicle's passengers suffered injuries in the crash.

Police said a later search of the BMW yielded a stolen, loaded handgun and methamphetamine.

Barnette was arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility, police said. The passengers with him were apparently released.

Antioch police and the CHP are investigating the incident.