Three injured in serious car accident, late Tuesday night, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem’s car also hit

The remains of a Honda Ridgeline SUV whose driver caused an accident at A Street and Rossi Street, which ended at the westbound Highway 4 onramp, late Tuesday night, April 12. photos by Allen Payton

The remains of a Honda Ridgeline SUV whose driver caused an accident at A Street and Rossi Street, which ended at the westbound Highway 4 on ramp, late Tuesday night, April 12. photos by Allen Payton

By Allen Payton

On Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at approximately 10:01 pm, Antioch Police officers responded to the intersection of A St. and the Highway 4 on ramp on a report of a vehicle collision with a person trapped. Upon arrival, officers located a SUV that had collided into the rear of an occupied parked highway road crew cone truck. The collision caused major damage to both vehicles.

The driver of the SUV, a 35-year-old male from Antioch, and sole occupant of the vehicle had to be extricated from the vehicle by Contra Costa County Fire. The driver was transported to a local hospital with major injuries. The two occupants of the work truck were also transported to a local hospital with injuries that were considered to be minor.

Traffic control company truck (left) was struck by the SUV and ended up at the intersection of A Street and the Highway 4 onramp.

Traffic control company truck (left) was struck by the SUV and ended up at the intersection of A Street and the Highway 4 on ramp.

The investigation revealed the driver of the SUV had collided into another vehicle at the intersection of A Street and Rossi Avenue just moments prior to the collision at A Street and Highway 4. There were no reported injuries in that collision.

That other car, driven by Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock was the first car hit by the driver of the SUV, as she was on her way home from the City Council meeting. But she was only sideswiped, taking off the passenger side mirror,  the damage was minor and she was not injured.

“I’m OK and it was my car he hit first” she said Wednesday morning. “I am blessed as it would have been really bad for me if he would have rear ended me at the high rate of speed he was going.”

“I thought he was going to hit and run, but then he went to the far right like he was going to get on the freeway,” Ogorchock continued. “But, then he swerved back to the left and that’s when he hit the back of the truck. He never hit the brakes.”

Asked if she remained at the scene, she replied, “I’m the one who called 9-11. I was on the phone and there were some people who were in the area running up to the car. One lady screamed. I was told by one man ‘he’s dead don’t go up there.’ I said ‘no he’s not dead, his head is moving’ and kept walking toward the car. That’s when Wade drove up. He asked me if I was OK, then also walked over to the car.”

“He was flying. It’s sad,” Ogorchock stated. “My thoughts and prayers are with the young man in the black vehicle and the CalTrans workers.”

“I appreciate how fast the police showed up,” she said. “The EMT’s and the firefighters. I’ve never been in that situation before. They were very calming, very soothing through the whole thing. You could really see the concern by the emergency response people for everyone involved.”

“There was an angel in my car, last night,” Ogorchock continued. “He hit the back of that truck and bent it under the frame,” she continued. “If he had hit me, he’d probably been in my back seat.”

“I left the the City Hall parking lot before Wade and (Councilwoman) Monica (Wilson),” she explained. “Monica drove by the scene but didn’t stop because she saw Wade and me, there, but didn’t know I was involved. She later told me ‘that car passed me.’”

“The driver’s name is Mike, that’s all I know. He told Wade that, last night,” Ogorchock added.

Antioch Mayor Wade Harper, also on his way home following the Council meeting, was one of the first on the scene, according to a TV cameraman.

In a Channel 7 TV news report, which referred to Harper as a guardian angel, he said “I just started to talk to him (the driver), make sure he’s coherent, talking to him telling him he would be OK.”

Police were still on scene at midnight, investigating the accident. The preliminary investigation indicates speed is a factor in the collision. It is unknown at this time if alcohol and/or drugs were involved.

No further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Antioch Police at (925) 778-2441 or Traffic Officer Eric Johnsen at (925) 779-6900 ext. 84265. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

Antioch Police Sgt. Rick Martin #3343 contributed to this report.


the attachments to this post:


Car accident A St 4-12-16 b


Car accident A St 4-12-16


2 Comments to “Three injured in serious car accident, late Tuesday night, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem’s car also hit”

  1. frog voice says:

    Let me just say that the Highway 4 project is a big mess. There is little signage. Unmarked areas where there is digging and you could literally fall into a big gutter. Changes in the offramps – no idea where they begin and end. It has been a nightmare to say the least. The roads narrow and veer – we have no idea from one day to the next what changes may have occurred. Nice to see the homeless have a good place to panhandle though. That seriously goes unchecked.

    • Publisher says:

      FYI, this happened two blocks from Highway 4. I seriously doubt signage was a contributing factor. Speed was.
      Allen Payton, Publisher

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