Motorcyclist dies on Bay Bridge, creating traffic nightmare coming into SF

Westbound traffic on the Bay Bridge slowed to a crawl after three lanes were closed while Highway Patrol officers investigate a motorcycle accident in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. It took some commuters over an hour to cross the bridge from the East Bay. less Westbound traffic on the Bay Bridge slowed to a crawl after three lanes were closed while Highway Patrol officers investigate a motorcycle accident in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. It took ... more Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle 2019 Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle 2019 Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close Motorcyclist dies on Bay Bridge, creating traffic nightmare coming into SF 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

A motorcyclist died after fleeing a stop by a California Highway Patrol officer at the Bay Bridge toll plaza Tuesday morning. The rider crashed on the other side of the bridge near the Fremont Street exit in San Francisco, a CHP spokesman said.

As of 11:40 a.m., the lanes at the Fremont Street exit were finally clear after being closed for more than three hours.

The incident continued to impact traffic with drivers saying the trek across the bridge from the East Bay to San Francisco is taking more than an hour. A motorist from Vallejo said the trip to the city took three hours.

Beautiful view from my #ACTransit trans bay bus. Even with a 3 hour commute across the Bay Bridge this morning. pic.twitter.com/doaDQAAsMP — Carol Tang (@CarolTang1) April 30, 2019 Does anyone on the bay bridge have salsa or guac? Come to the white ford fiesta! Appropriate!!!! pic.twitter.com/2dD6JzvCTx — megan (@aavoocaadoo) April 30, 2019 I’ve been driving for an hour and 45 minutes and I JUST got on the bay bridge — (=^ェ^=) (@omgsarina) April 30, 2019

The pursuit started at about 7:35 a.m. after the motorcyclist committed a violation in a westbound bus lane in the toll plaza, CHP Officer Bert Diaz said.

The motorcyclist, a man whose name has not yet been released, fled west but then crashed just east of Fremont Street on the San Francisco side of the bridge.

"The rider was transported and pronounced deceased at SF General," according to CHP.

The crash initially shut down three westbound left lanes of the highway in San Francisco and brought traffic across the upper level deck of the Bay Bridge to a near standstill.

Bay City News contributed to this story.