"Anytime it rains, we see an increase in crashes. Some of them can be very serious. We've had a couple of fatal accidents," said CHP Officer Mike Ferguson.
It was a deadly start to the day on I-880 in Fremont. Just before 5 a.m., a big-rig and car collided killing the driver of the car. The three left lanes of traffic going southbound were blocked for hours. The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate the cause, but the rainy conditions made for a slick and dangerous commute this morning.
"The unfortunate thing is a lot of people will slow down for a heavy downpour, but they won't for a light rain like this, which is too bad, because it can actually be just as dangerous," said Ferguson.
At 7 this morning, the heavy rain likely contributed to a jackknifed big-rig in the Sonoma County town of Forestville. The driver lost control and ran off the road crashing into the guardrail. The truck's fuel tank ruptured sending gallons of diesel fuel and forcing one-way traffic control as county hazmat crews responded to the single vehicle wreck.
"We see a lot of solo spinouts. Sometimes they collide with something, sometimes it's insignificant, sometimes they don't crash at all, sometimes they just spinout and that's because you have a loss of traction," said Ferguson.
The CHP said the loss of traction is most common in on and off-ramps and roundabouts. The CHP also wanted to remind drivers to turn on their headlights whenever there is a reduction in visibility, or if it is raining and your windshield wipers are on.
