Motorcycle rider dies after hitting box truck on Bay Bridge during attempted traffic stop

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A motorcycle rider evading the CHP on the Bay Bridge died after crashing into a truck. The fatal accident tied up traffic on the Bridge for hours and hours while CHP investigators were on the scene at 7:35 Tuesday morning.

It was the height of the morning commute on the Bay Bridge when the fatal crash led to gridlock.

"Four hours! Four hours I waited," said one driver.

The CHP says the motorcyclist was going westbound at a high rate of speed on I-80 near Treasure Island when a motorcycle officer tried to stop him.

"He also observed that this motorcycle rider was not displaying a rear license plate," said CHP Public Information Officer Bert Diaz.

He says the officer pulled up to the motorcyclist and signaled him to get off at Fremont Street, the next exit. That's when CHP Officer Bert Diaz says the man sped off from the slow lane to the fast lane, zig zagging through five lanes of traffic.

"The CHP officer attempted to catch up, to get into position to make an enforcement stop but was never able to catch up. And that's when the motorcycle rider collided with the box truck," said Diaz.

The crash happened just east of the Harrison and Fremont Street exits. All of it happened quickly-- less than a minute. But the ripple effect lasted much longer.

Three left lanes of I-80 were closed off, but the CHP finally re-opened all the lanes shortly before Noon.

The San Francisco Medical Examiner has yet to release the name of the motorcyclist who died.

The CHP says the officer never initiated a pursuit. That he didn't have time. They say the motorcycle rider seemed to comply but then suddenly sped off at speeds of 65 to 70 miles an hour, crossing five lanes of traffic.

That's when, they say public safety became a main concern for the motorcycle officer with regard to a pursuit.