If you took I-280 north to work Tuesday morning, there’s a good chance you were late. A massive pileup of crunched cars blocked several lanes of traffic and slowed movement on the freeway just south of Ocean Avenue, as photos from the San Francisco-area California Highway Patrol show.
Eleven cars in total were involved in the 7:30 a.m. crash, the CHP says. One car’s passenger side wheel was ripped clean off in the front, and its bumper on the same side hung below the car as well. Another SUV’s front end smashed so aggressively, it its own humper into the windshield.
Despite some of the damage looking fairly extreme, officers say no one was badly hurt. Only minor injuries were reported.
The CHP has also now released the cause of that crash:
“Most of the time when we talk about ‘unsafe speed for conditions,’ we’re talking about rain, or snow or wind. Today though we’re talking about sun,” the SF CHP quipped.
Investigators say people were driving too fast with the sun in their eyes, rendering them unable to react quickly and avoid an incident when the cars in front of them collided.
The CHP also says changing seasons affect driving conditions. Although you may be used to the road, you can’t predict what the drivers around you will do, and thus you still have to remain alert on the roadway.
“Daylight savings time just started, so the sun is in a different place in the sky than it was during your commute a couple of weeks ago. Please make sure you are driving at a safe speed and that both you and your vehicle are prepared for changing conditions no matter what the weather is outside!” the CHP said.
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