First rain of season triggers chaotic commute in Bay Area

ByAmy Hollyfield and Amanda del Castillo KGO logo
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
First rain of season triggers chaotic commute in Bay Area
The first significant rain of the season is now falling in the Bay Area and several accidents have been reported on roadways.

The storm has created a chaotic commute for drivers on Bay Area roadways. The CHP is reminding drivers to be safe after several accidents were reported on slick roadways.

WATCH LIVE: Track the rain on Live Doppler 7 radar

A car was badly damaged in a rollover accident on northbound Highway 101 near Petaluma Boulevard. No injuries were reported. Moderate rain was falling at the time of the crash, but the cause is under investigation.

In Oakland, a black SUV flipped along Lakeside Drive near Lake Merritt. Oakland Fire says one person was injured.

In Lafayette along Highway 24, a morning roll-over accident slowed traffic for some time.

On rainy days like today, some are blaming the bad behavior from Bay Area drivers.

Police remind drivers how to navigate through rain-slick roadways. Rule one -- don't tailgate the car in front of you.

"What we find is reaction time is delayed a little bit, the roads are wet, cars start to slide and that's when we see collisions," said Commander Aaron Johnson from the Rohnert Park Dept. of Public Safety.

VIDEO: Watch your ABC7 AccuWeather forecast

Fire officials say just because it's raining doesn't mean fire season is over.

"After the rain goes away, fuels will dry and we'll be back in the same situation we were a few days earlier," said Mill Valley Fire Chief Scott Barnes.

See maps, drive times and resources on our traffic page.