Toll booths may be seen as places where traffic snarls and people have to wait to pay their toll before being on their way. The money collected is supposed to go towards road improvements and other infrastructure betterments. Most people don’t think about the toll workers or the dangers that they may find themselves in. While they are generally safe, accidents do occur. CBS Local San Francisco reports on a toll booth worker that was killed in a suspected DUI crash.
Earlier this month, a toll booth worker who was working a shift on the Oakland side of the Bay Bridge was killed when a truck crashed into the booth she was inside.
32-year-old Daniel Berk was arrested on suspicion of DUI for his role in the crash that occurred at about 5:10 a.m. on December 2nd. A box truck hit the last vehicle in line, causing a chain reaction. The truck continued after the collision and struck the toll booth.
Inside the toll booth was Caltrans toll collector Si Si Han, who died as a result of the accident.
Berk and a passenger were thrown from the vehicle, with the driver suffering major injuries. The passenger suffered minor injuries.
On Monday, December 11, Berk was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and six counts of felony DUI causing injuries. Police say that Berk smelled of alcohol and marijuana at the time of the accident. Further surveillance camera footage from the toll plaza showed Berk driving recklessly.
Other motorists involved in the chain-reaction part of the crash were also injured and taken to the hospital.
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