Two Killed in Concord Wrong Way Crash

By Yosi Yahoudai Founder and Managing Partner

October 27, 2026

Car Accidents

CONCORD, CA – Two rear-seat passengers died and three other people suffered major injuries when a wrong-way driver collided head-on with another car on Interstate 680 in Concord early Monday, Oct. 19, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The initial wrong-way report reached the CHP at about 1:50 a.m. A black Lexus sedan was traveling south in the northbound lanes near Willow Pass Road, officers said. Less than a minute later, dispatchers learned that the Lexus had struck a black Chevrolet sedan just south of the interchange.

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Concord Accident: Five People in Two Cars

Four adults were riding in the Lexus: a woman driving, a man in the front passenger seat, a woman in the left rear seat and a man in the right rear seat. The two rear passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The Lexus driver and front passenger were taken to a hospital with major injuries.

The Chevrolet carried only its driver, an adult woman. Emergency crews also transported her to a hospital with major injuries. Officials did not release further information about the three survivors’ conditions.

The CHP’s preliminary crash account said the Lexus driver was suspected of driving under the influence. Authorities arrested her, but the preliminary report did not identify the substance suspected, describe any test results or announce a charging decision. The collision remained under investigation, and an arrest did not by itself establish civil or criminal liability.

Seat Belts and Freeway Closure

Investigators reported that the Lexus front passenger and one of the rear passengers were not wearing seat belts. The available reports did not specify the restraint use of the other occupants, and they did not state whether the wrong-way driver entered the freeway at a particular ramp.

Contra Costa County firefighters and multiple ambulances responded. Authorities closed the northbound lanes south of Willow Pass Road within minutes of the crash so emergency crews could reach the injured people and investigators could document the scene. The closure continued through the early morning and ended at about 6:30 a.m.

The head-on impact involved two separate vehicles and left the Chevrolet driver and Lexus front passenger with major injuries. The Lexus’s rear passengers died before they could be transported. The CHP had not released the names of the people involved or a final determination about the sequence of events.

Investigators asked anyone who saw the Lexus traveling the wrong way or witnessed the collision to contact the CHP’s Contra Costa Area office in Martinez at 925-387-1900 or 320Investigations@chp.ca.gov. The agency continued to investigate why the Lexus was moving against traffic and the circumstances leading to the impact.