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

ANTIOCH — A multi-car crash early Sunday morning left three injured while an SUV plunged into the city’s marina amid a slew of accidents that took place after a late-night sideshow was dispersed by authorities.

Police responded to the sideshow around 3 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of 9th and G streets, an area of Antioch that includes businesses, eateries and some residences.

Vehicles fled the scene at high speeds, leading one car in the immediate vicinity to collide with another before slamming into a fire hydrant, authorities said.

Three people involved in that crash were taken to a hospital, one of them with major injuries. Officials did not provide an update Sunday on the status of their injuries.

In two separate crashes, a car similarly hit a fire hydrant near the city’s marina, while an SUV drove into the San Joaquin River.

No injuries were reported in the second hydrant crash, while the SUV had been abandoned by the time emergency responders arrived at the scene.

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

Antioch police could not be reached for comment Sunday morning, but KTVU reported that one person was arrested in the multi-car crash that sent three people to the hospital.

East Bay leaders have struggled in recent years to curb sideshows, the unsanctioned 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 led Antioch officials to promise harsh punishments for sideshow participants, especially those who fire guns or endanger others with their vehicles.

Other officials, including some in Oakland, have explored how sanctioned versions of the event could be held safely, given the emerging cultural importance of sideshows in the East Bay.