A big rig rear-ended a sedan and caused a multiple-vehicle collision on the Golden Gate Bridge Tuesday morning that led to the closure of all lanes in both directions, a California Highway Patrol sergeant said.
The crash, which was reported just after 9 a.m., started when a big rig traveling northbound hit the tan Kia Rio driving northbound in front of it, CHP Sgt. Diana McDermott said.
The big rig was able to continue driving unaffected, but the Kia was propelled into the left southbound lane, where it broadsided a Porsche, McDermott said.
The Kia then continued to spin in a counter-clockwise direction, causing its right rear end to hit the left rear end of a Toyota Camry that was traveling southbound behind the Porsche, McDermott said.
The female driver of the Kia complained of pain to her neck, back and right arm, and she was transported to California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, McDermott said.
She did not know if the driver was still in the hospital.
The female driver of the Toyota also complained of pain and was examined by responding paramedics, but she was able to drive away from the scene and did not require medical treatment, McDermott said.
The male driver of the Porsche suffered an extremely minor laceration to his left hand but did not need medical attention, McDermott said. The driver of the big rig was uninjured.
The Kia suffered moderate damage and had to be towed, as did the Porsche, McDermott said. The Toyota and big rig were able to drive away from the scene of the crash, she said.
All lanes in both directions were closed for about 45 minutes while the CHP and emergency crews responded to the collisions, McDermott said. Traffic had resumed in both directions by about 9:45 a.m.
As traffic backed up on Doyle Drive in San Francisco, several motorists who apparently became frustrated with the wait made illegal U-turns that caused them to pass into the southbound lanes of the bridge in an attempt to escape the gridlock, McDermott said.
The drivers did not progress in the wrong direction in these southbound lanes, and the U-turns caused no further collisions, she said.
