Four dead and six injured in head-on collision in California

‘That stretch of highway has been notorious for decades,’ police chief says

A family of seven on vacation from Mexico were among four fatalities in a head-on crash in Rio Vista, California, on Wednesday night, authorities say.

Another six were injured when the family’s large SUV collided with a mid-sized sedan carrying three adults in their 20s on Highway 12 near Summerset Drive just after 8pm, Rio Vista Police Chief Jon Mazer told NBC Bay Area at the scene.

“That stretch of highway has been notorious for decades, and this is particularly bad because we have a small compact vehicle with three people on board and a larger SUV,” Mr Mazer told the network.

“I’ve been working in this county for 26 years and this is probably the worst crash I’ve seen on this road.”

Asked why the highway was so dangerous, Mr Mazer said: “People see the wide open roads and they just go for it, and it often ends like this.”

Mr Mazer said he had spoken to one of the injured who was stable, but couldn’t provide condition update on the other five.

One of the vehicles in a head-on collision that claimed four lives and left six injured in Rio Vista, California, on Wednesday night (KTVU)

Rio Vista Police Chief Jon Mazer said Wednesday’s crash that left four dead was the worst he had seen in 26 years (NBC Bay Area)

A “significant number” of alcohol bottles were found at the scene. Mr Mazer said blood tests on the drivers would determine whether alcohol was a factor.

Some victims were ejected from their vehicles, and another had seatbelt burns that had probably “saved his life”.

Rio Vista is around 60 miles (96kms) northeast of San Francisco.