CHP releases names of two killed in wrong-way crash near Marin-Sonoma line

The two drivers killed Sunday morning in a wrong-way Highway 101 crash in Marin County were residents of Union City and Novato, the Marin County Coroner’s Office said Monday.

Efren Gonzalez, 66, of Union City was killed upon impact.

He’d been driving with a female passenger, headed south just after 1 a.m. Sunday when his vehicle was struck by a driver going north in southbound lanes, according to the CHP.

Wrong-way driver Mark Verdi, 61, of Novato also died upon impact.

Verdi apparently had gotten onto the highway in Novato, heading up an offramp. The CHP suspects he was impaired.

Before 1 a.m., drivers began dialing 911 to alert the CHP of the wrong-way driver headed toward Sonoma County in southbound lanes.

While officers were rushing to find and turn the driver around, he collided with two vehicles near the San Antonio Road exit, just south of the Sonoma-Marin county line.

Verdi was in a 1995 Toyota Camry wagon. He smashed into a 2013 Nissan Sentra, carrying Gonzalez and the unidentified woman. The impact caused the Nissan to flip and skid into a 2006 Dodge Ram.

The Dodge driver apparently had minor injuries. The woman suffered more serious injuries and was transported to a hospital.

The crash remained under investigation Monday by CHP and Marin County coroner’s investigators. Investigators initially indicated alcohol could be a factor but were awaiting toxicology results.