UPDATED: Vacaville Man Killed In Red Top Road Off Ramp Crash

Updated 5:33 p.m.:

         By Bay City News Service

         The Solano County coroner's office has identified a man who was
killed when a car plunged off of Interstate Highway 80 in Fairfield this
afternoon as 58-year-old James Fernandez, of Vacaville.
          Fernandez was a passenger in a 1998 Dodge Dakota pickup that
crashed through a guardrail on rain-slicked westbound I-80 and overturned
onto the Red Top Road off-ramp in Fairfield around noon.
          The truck nearly landed on a CHP patrol car that was traveling
15-20 mph on the off-ramp, CHP Officer Chris Parker said.
          CHP Officer Chris Franks heard the crash, looked behind him and
accelerated away when he saw the truck on its roof coming toward him, Parker
said.
          The back of the patrol car sustained only a glancing blow, Parker
said.
          Fernandez, who was in the right front seat of the pickup, was
pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck, Lynn Thompson, 62, of
Vacaville, complained of neck pain, Parker said.
          The crash closed the Red Top Road off-ramp for about 90 minutes.
Investigators don't believe alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash,
Parker said.

Updated 3:32 p.m.:

By Bay City News Service

          A passenger in a Dodge pickup was killed when the truck crashed
through a guardrail and drove off of westbound Interstate Highway 80 in
Fairfield, landing on its roof on an off-ramp below, a California Highway
Patrol officer said.
          The victim, a 55-year-old man, was riding in the right front
passenger seat when the driver lost control on the rain-slicked highway near
the Red Top Road off-ramp shortly after noon, CHP Officer Chris Parker said.
          The truck went off the highway and nearly landed on a CHP patrol
car on the off-ramp, Parker said. The officer inside the car accelerated to
avoid the pickup, and the left rear of the patrol car received only "a
glancing blow," he said.
          The pickup was severely crushed on the passenger side, Parker
said.
          The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene but the driver, a
62-year-old man, suffered only minor injuries, Parker said.
          The CHP issued a Sig-alert for the off-ramp around 12:15 p.m., and
the Solano County coroner's office was notified around 12:30 p.m.
          The off-ramp reopened at 1:29 p.m.

Updated 1:42 p.m.:

By Bay City News Service

One person was killed when a car drove off of westbound Interstate Highway 80 in Fairfield this afternoon, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

The crash was reported a few minutes after noon in the area of the
Red Top Road off-ramp from westbound I-80.

CHP Officer Peter Van Eckhardt said initial reports indicate that
a vehicle "flew" off the highway and fell to the off-ramp or surface streets
below.

The off-ramp has been shut down while the crash is cleared.

Original story:

By Bay City News Service

A major-injury crash has shut down an Interstate Highway 80
off-ramp in Fairfield Tuesday afternoon, a California Highway Patrol officer
said.

The crash was reported a few minutes after noon in the area of the
Red Top Road off-ramp from westbound I-80.
CHP Officer Peter Van Eckhardt said initial reports indicate that
a vehicle "flew" off the highway and fell to the off-ramp or surface streets
below.

He did not know the driver's condition but said it appears there
were serious injuries.
The off-ramp has been shut down while the crash is cleared.