Family mourns Antioch mother killed in wrongway I680 crash
May 05, 2026
(KRON) -- A family is grieving a mother who was killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek last week. California Highway Patrol officers said a driver in a Dodge Charger was driving southbound into oncoming northbound traffic when she collided with six vehicles near the Treat Boul
evard exit.
Seven people were injured in the May 1 crash, including the Dodge Charger driver. A passenger in one of the victims' vehicles, Shanell Shari Smith, 42, of Antioch, died from her injuries, officials said.
Shanell Shari Smith (Photo courtesy GoFundMe)
Smith's daughter created a GoFundMe page seeking support to cover funeral expenses. "My mom was a special kind of human, she moved through this world with a smile on her face and her head held high. She had a rare gift of making all those in her presence feel truly seen and loved. She didn't just look at the surface of a person, she looked deeper and she connected with people on a truly genuine level," the victim's daughter wrote.
Nearly $10,000 in donations had been raised by Tuesday afternoon.
The Dodge Charger driver was taken to a local hospital, determined to have been impaired at the time of the crash, and arrested, the CHP said. Law enforcement officials have not publicly released the driver's name.
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