Berkeley: Motorcyclist killed in crash

It happened around 1:45 p.m. Saturday in Highgrove, an unincorporated area north of Riverside.

A motorcyclist was killed when he rear-ended a minivan on Interstate Highway 80 in Berkeley this morning, according to the California Highway Patrol. At least two bullets tore through the officers’ cruiser, as evidenced by pictures taken by deputies at the scene.

Officers returned fire, striking the truck and the driver, Martinez said. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his identity has not been released. Their conditions are unknown at this time, officers said. No description of the passenger was available.

Both vehicles caught fire after the 6:30 p.m. head-on collision and an explosion followed. Robert Martinez of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The CHP closed two of the highway’s lanes for about an hour and a half, as they investigated the collision.

This is still an active investigation, and the CHP has asked witnesses to the crash to call the Oakland CHP office at 510-450-3821, or 800-TELL-CHP.