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County officials have identified one of two victims in Sunday morning's fiery crash that closed a portion of the roadway.

The Contra Costa County Coroner's Office identified San Ramon resident Merhrdad Emami, 46, as the passenger in a silver BMW that was struck by a Nissan Maxima while headed southbound on Interstate 680 near the Crow Canyon Road exit.

The collision was reported just after 1:20 a.m. at the Crow Canyon Road off-ramp, according to the CHP. The female driver of the BMW was transported to the hospital with major injuries; her identity has not been released.

While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, CHP officials said the collision caused both cars to spin out of control. The Nissan spun into the construction area, striking a forklift on the drivers side before catching on fire with the driver still inside.

According to reports, the forklift stopped the Maxima and prevented at least four other Caltrans workers from being struck. The BMW also veered into the construction area and struck an unoccupied Ford F-150 truck.

The driver of the Nissan died in the accident and was severely burned. The Coroner's Office is currently examining the victim's dental records and is expect to make an identification by late Monday night, said Deputy Tim Biggs.

Construction sites normally have Highway Patrol officers on site as well as Caltrans supervisors, said CHP Officer Steve Creole. Creole said the collision was most likely due to a speed differential between the vehicles and not construction, as traffic had already been narrowed to one lane.

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