DUI crash in SF kills four; including San Carlos, Hillsborough residents

At 12:24 a.m., CHP officers initially received a call about the driver of a Volkswagen heading south in the northbound lanes of Highway 101.

Minutes later, the CHP learned of a head-on collision involving that Volkswagen and a Ford taxi on the highway just north of Paul Avenue, CHP officials said.

At the scene, officers found four people dead, including the taxi’s driver, his two passengers and the driver of the Volkswagen.

The taxi’s driver was identified as Berkant Ahmed, 43, of San Carlos, while his passengers were described as Mary Miller, 57, from Chicago and Judson Bergman, 62, of Barrington, Illinois, according to media reports.

The driver of the Volkswagen was identified as Emilie Ross, 34, of Hillsborough, according to media reports. CHP officials believe she was driving while impaired.

In light of the fatal collision, the CHP is reminding drivers to drive responsibly and to report possibly intoxicated drivers.

In a statement, CHP officials said: “We would like to extend our condolences to the families of all involved in this tragedy. The CHP takes

DUI and wrong-way driving incidents very seriously.”

According to the CHP, DUI arrests in the Bay Area are on the rise, with officers making 7,796 already this year alone, up from 6,482 in 2018.

Thursday’s collision marks this year’s 25th wrong-way collision on highways in the Bay Area this year, 10 of which have resulted in 19 deaths,

CHP officials said.

“This is a problem that is affecting the entire Bay Area,” said CHP — Golden Gate Division Chief Ernie Sanchez. “Rest assured that the

California Highway Patrol will continue to work closely with our stakeholders, to include Caltrans, in order to identify and improve the potential on- and off-ramps where motorists are entering freeways traveling in the wrong direction.”

“In addition, CHP will continue partnering with law enforcement agencies on proactive enforcement and work to identify avenues to prevent motorists from entering freeways from city streets, while driving in the wrong direction,” Sanchez said.