Photo: NBC
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed Saturday in Orinda city, Northern California when their car veered off on a slick section on a state highway and hit a tree, California Highway Patrol (CHP) of Contra Costa said.
The CHP said the red 2009 Nissan Versa operated by a male driver and carrying two other male passengers went off Highway 24 and crashed into a hillside before slamming head-on into the tree.
"Tragically, all three male occupants were killed in the crash," said the CHP, adding that two of the male passengers have been identified as a 31-year-old man from Oakland and a 22-year-old man from Hayward. The driver has yet to be identified at the scene of the collision.
The CHP said the car was traveling westbound on the highway when the accident happened, and its speed was yet to be determined.
"It is unknown if alcohol or drug impairment were a factor in this collision, but it is still under investigation," said the CHP.
A police officer told local media that weather could have played a role in the single-vehicle crash as the Bay Area is currently experiencing stormy weather that brought heavy rain to the area.
