One dead, multiple hurt in 8-car East Palo Alto crash

Published September 29, 2026 11:13 AM PDT

A major traffic collision involving eight cars was reported Tuesday in East Palo Alto where one person was killed and five were hurt, authorities said.

8-car crash kills 1 

What we know:

A major traffic collision involving eight cars was reported Tuesday in East Palo Alto just before 8:30 a.m. at Bay Road and University Avenue, where one person died and several others were injured. Sept. 29, 2026

The multi-car crash was reported just before 8:30 a.m. at Bay Road and University Avenue, according to Ehren MacDonald, Menlo Park Fire District Division Chief of Operations. 

Video at the scene showed a nearby McDonald's taped off with yellow crime scene tape. 

San Mateo County sheriff's deputies and East Palo Alto police officers said two of the five suffered life-threatening injuries.

What we don't know:

It's unclear what caused the crash.

The Sheriff’s Office Major Accident Investigation Team will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the collision.

Authorities told drivers to avoid the intersection of Bay Road and University Avenue until further notice and expect traffic delays in the area.

One person was killed and five were hurt in an 8-car crash in East Palo Alto. Sept. 29, 2026


 

SkyFox flew over an 8-car fatal car crash in East Palo Alto. Sept. 29, 2026

The Source: Information for this story comes from the Menlo Park Fire District, the San Mateo County Sheriff and visual evidence. 

East Palo Alto