SFist gets word today of a surprise sobriety checkpoint on the Folsom Street on-ramp to the Bay Bridge last night around 10 p.m. CHP officers were reportedly not forcing everyone out of their cars, but making drivers lean out their windows, look into their mag lights, and follow a finger with only their eyes. more ›

With the holiday weekend in front of us, traffic cops and highway patrollers are gearing up to give you a citation for pretty much any stupid thing you can do behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. The Snitch reports SFPD will be setting up a sobriety checkpoint at the Embarcadero and Washington Street tonight to catch the post-happy hour crowd and the late night club commuters. more ›

Just before 6 a.m. in the city's Ingleside district, a pedestrian was struck by a CHIP motorcycle near Brotherhood Way and Head Street. The pedestrian was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for a non-life threatening leg injury According to BCN (via SF Appeal), "Preliminary reports indicate the pedestrian may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident." more ›

Byron Williams, that Tuolumne County right-wing lunatic who spent a lot of time watching Glenn Beck and decided to head to SF to shoot up the ACLU, pleaded not guilty in Alameda County court yesterday to charges of premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer. more ›

In an effort to get motorists to slow down on the Bay Bridge, CHP officers had a "crackdown" in the bridge yesterday. CBS 5 reported that officers "issued 34 citations for speeding and arrested someone for driving under the influence. The crackdown was carried out between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 4 a.m. Thursday." This comes on the heels of a big rig toppling over the bridge on Monday. Also, later this month, "radar signs will also be installed to show drivers how fast they are going as they pass." more ›

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Due to a gasoline tanker truck accident -- which resulted in an eco-unfriendly dousing of over "26 gallons" (?) of gasoline, or so said CBS 5's Judge Judy breaking-news interruption -- all northbound and southbound lanes on Highway 101 in Redwood City are closed. That? Blows. more ›

How to go fast and not get tickets? more ›

Although he is "believed to be a good swimmer," 32-year-old Eric Wright's rescue search has now turned into a body recovery effort according to CBS 5. The Tracy resident was reported missing after Wright's father-in-law discovered his boat capsized this past Sunday in the Bethany Reservoir in Alameda County. more ›

Can you believe it's been a year since James Kim died in the Oregon mountains? We're very sorry to pass along the news that another Northern California family is missing in what we're hoping is not going to be another family holiday tragedy story. more ›

Sounds like a mess down on 880 just north of Highway 84, where a big rig ran off the highway at around 1 a.m. this morning and spilled its cargo all over the highway. The cargo in question -- crushed cars. more ›

When you're delivering 3 gallons of GHB (the “date rape drug”) from areas north to San Francisco, maybe you should stick to the speed limit. A fool from L.A. was pulled over for speeding in Sonoma County when cops found the offending liquid in the car. Homeboy probably would have gotten off with just a ticket, but instead decided to act all sketchy, causing the CHP to search his car. more ›

-- Michelangelo Antonioni dies; Mick LaSalle suspects Eric Rohmer will fade to black next. [Chron blogs] more ›

This story about the Berkeley family killed in Tilden Park by the husband over business problems is so sad. Friends of the family describe the husband, Kevin Morrissey, as "brittle," "desperate," and as having a "very controlling side," though by all accounts deeply in love with his wife. The wife, Mamiko Kawai, is described as a wonderful doctor and the two girls as adorable. The CIA will neither confirm nor deny the husband's claims that he worked for them (hey, let's ask Bob Novak!). The husband bought the gun two months ago and complied with the mandatory waiting-period provisions before taking it home. more ›

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is all over the problem of keeping only confident, competent senior drivers on the road. It's unveiled a new video to educate both seniors and those with seniors in their lives on the risks associated with driving while aging. It's introduced by former State Senator Quentin Kopp -- himself a senior -- who, in a bold performance admits that he, too, finds himself driving slower on the freeway. more ›

The CHP is recommending to the Solano County DA's office that they press reckless driving charges against State Senator Carole Migden, for her wild, lane-changing, simultaneous cell-phone-talking and paperwork-reading 30-mile drive in Fairfield, culminating in a fender-bender. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor and has a max penalty of $1000 and/or 6 months in jail. more ›

How can this be true, I-Team? It must be impossible. That's the only explanation. Do you really expect us to believe that in the past five years, out of the thousands of bike-car collisions in the Yay Area, of driving unsafely. Just like how black people can't be racist. more ›

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We can't decide if we're sorry we missed this, or if we're extremely grateful that we take BART to work in the mornings. more ›

A little bit more of those tapes that the Angelides camp got their grubby little hands on months ago were released and if you dial a 1-800 number you could listen to them. No, wait, that's the new Arcade Fire song, not these tapes. Either way, the Governator's people aren't happy that they got put out there. But since the CHP deemed nothing illegal on what happened, there's nothing they can do about it. more ›

Hey, we're back from vacation! And we just missed the 5-foot sinkhole that opened up on California Street between 6th and 7th Avenues for New Year's Eve. Does anyone have pictures? more ›

We got two (two!) stories today about weird little traffic related mayhem. more ›

Expect a snarled commute today: three cars and two trucks mixed it up on southbound 101 near 22nd Street at 2:19 p.m.. Only minor injuries, but Officer Cakebread of the CHP (awesome name) says there's no ETA on how long it'll take to clear the highway. That means more time with you and the light hits on KOIT. more ›

Whoa! A lady gave birth on the side of 101 at Bailey Avenue near San Jose early Sunday morning. The father called in to 911 at around 2:50 a.m. saying he needed an ambulance, but called back one minute later to say the baby was born fine. The ambulance came anyway, to take them to the hospital and (very impressively), CHP cleared the ensuing traffic jam in less than 30 minutes. more ›

Tough few days in SoMa -- the mysterious power outage yesterday and today, a four-alarm fire above the Olympic restaurant at Fifth and Clara that's required the CHP to close down the Fifth Street 101 onramp and close down traffic on Fifth and on Harrison. (What a dramatic way for Eve to start her first day at the Chron, which is just a few blocks down the street! Stop, drop, and roll, Eve!) more ›

They really do have different problems from the rest of us up in Marin! The Fairfax police have their hands full with complaints about a guard dog taking his job protecting his family's goats (four cashmere, one dairy) a little too seriously. Five neighbors have complained about herding dog Percy's loud barking, which is supposed to drive away coyotes but instead brings on the police instead. Well, we suppose that's one way to keep the coyotes away. Good boy, Percy! (Dude, we'd recommend reading the whole article, which goes into the citizens' arrest procedures for loud dogs in Fairfax, and also tells a sad tale about a loud rooster in Fairfax, whose owner was cited for the crime of having fowl within city limits. Clearly, Fairfax rules.) more ›

Drag-racing on 101 -- such a bad idea, even if you don't kill members of the Tongan royal family. Grieving Tongans have left so many mementos at the site of last Wednesday's accident that CHP determined the area was a traffic hazard and removed everything that had been left. When the reporter was there, six vehicles pulled off by the side of the road to pay their respects, which CHP says isn't the safest thing to do on 101 North. more ›

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Happy July 4th weekend! -- unless you have to work on Monday. The airports are hoppin', the roads are crowded, and CHP is cracking down on DUIs and seat-belt law scofflaws. more ›