Car fleeing Antioch sideshow slams into fire hydrant; SUV abandoned in marina

ANTIOCH, FRANCE — Three people were injured in a multi-car crash early Sunday morning, and an SUV crashed into the city’s marina, among a slew of accidents that occurred after authorities dispersed a late-night sideshow.

Around 3 a.m. Sunday, police responded to the sideshow at the intersection of 9th and G streets in Antioch, which includes businesses, eateries, and some residences.

Authorities said that vehicles fled the scene at high speeds, causing one car in the immediate vicinity to collide with another before slamming into a fire hydrant.

Three people were taken to the hospital after the crash, with one of them, a woman in her fifties, in critical condition. Officials did not provide an update on the status of her injuries on Sunday.

The 21-year-old driver of the car that hit the hydrant attempted to flee but was apprehended by officers after a foot pursuit. The man, whose name has not been released by police, is being held on suspicion of two felonies: reckless driving and hit-and-run.

In two separate accidents, a car struck a fire hydrant near the city’s marina, and an SUV crashed into the San Joaquin River.

The second hydrant crash resulted in no injuries, and the SUV had been abandoned by the time emergency personnel arrived.

“We were going from one incident to the next,” said Bob Atlas, a Contra Costa Fire Protection District spokesperson, in an interview.

East Bay officials have struggled in recent years to curb sideshows, unofficial events in which vehicles attempt stunts — usually, tightly spun “doughnuts” that leave circular tread marks in the roadway — as crowds of spectators gather at close range.

The trend has prompted Antioch officials to [promise harsh punishments for sideshow participants], particularly those who fire guns or endanger others with their vehicles (https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/05/16/east-bay-mayor-police-get-tough-on-sideshows-after-weekend-chaos/).

Other officials, including some in Oakland, have looked into how sanctioned versions of the event could be held safely, given the East Bay’s growing cultural importance of sideshows.