Child survives wrong-way crash that kills 4 in Sierra Nevada

Two adults and two children were killed when a wrong-way driver slammed into their car early Saturday in the Sierra Nevada, authorities said.

Another child survived the multi-vehicle wreck that injured two other people on Interstate 80 near Yuba Pass, between Sacramento and Reno.

The collision occurred around 4:45 a.m., when a Jeep Wrangler, traveling around 70 mph, drove head-on into a Honda Civic occupied by two adults and three juveniles, California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Lyman said. The two vehicles were then struck by a GMC Sierra pickup.

The wreck blocked all lanes of traffic for nearly seven hours.

The two adult occupants of the sedan and two of the children in the car, none of whom were identified, were pronounced dead at the scene, Lyman said. The third child, who was described only about being around 4 years old, was transported to a Reno hospital with “unknown injuries.”

KCRA-TV identified the adults as a married couple from North Highlands in Sacramento County. Brittney and Antonio Montano, both 29, died in the crash along with their 9-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said Monday, the news outlet reported. The children’s names have not been released.

The drivers of the Jeep and the pickup, who were the sole occupants of their vehicles, also were taken to the hospital, authorities said.

The Jeep driver, whose name has not been released, may have been driving under the influence of alcohol, the CHP said. He remained in the hospital as of Monday afternoon.

The crash remains under investigation.