Nissan’s burning battery causes hazmat incident
By Officer Daniel Gilmore, PIO, CHP-Contra Costa
On Thursday, May 21, 2025, at approximately 10:18 p.m., officers assigned to the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Contra Costa Area office responded to a two-vehicle head-on crash which occurred on State Route 4 (SR-4) eastbound, just west of Fairview Avenue, in Brentwood.
An Acura RL was traveling westbound on SR-4 in a reckless manner and crossed over double yellow lines into the eastbound lane. The Acura crashed head-on with a Nissan Ariya, which was travelling eastbound. Following the impact, the Nissan became fully engulfed in flames. Tragically, both drivers, and sole occupants of their respective vehicles, sustained fatal injuries because of the crash and were pronounced deceased on scene.
Due to the hazardous chemical composition of the Nissan’s battery, the scene was declared a hazmat incident. Consequently, emergency services were unable to immediately extract the driver of the Nissan until the scene was made safe.
Both eastbound and westbound lanes of SR-4 were closed at approximately 10:28 p.m., for on-scene investigation, and were re-opened at approximately 5:32 a.m. the next morning.
This crash remains under investigation.
The Mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.
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