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A 21-year-old Emeryville man died and two people were injured in a spectacular crash on Interstate 80 at Ashby Avenue early Wednesday. 

California Highway Patrol Officer Sam Morgan said the accident happened about 12:07 a.m. when a 1993 BMW 525 lost control as it headed eastbound on the freeway. 

“The car hydroplaned across the lanes,” said the officer, and was struck on the  

driver’s side by a 2003 Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by a 34-year-old El Cerrito  

man, which caused it to spin in a clockwise direction. 

The BMW was then struck on the passenger side by a 2006 Ford, driven by a 49-year-old Alameda man, and his car was rear-ended, in turn, by a 2003 Acura driven by a 28-year-old Richmond woman. 

Berkeley Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong said firefighters had to use mechanical equipment to remove the injured passenger from the BMW, 21-year-old Eric Anthony Fernandez, who was later pronounced dead at Highland Hospital. 

Berkeley paramedics transported three people to Highland. The driver of the BMW was also hospitalized for treatment of moderate injuries, Morgan said, and the driver of the Acura was treated at the hospital for minor injuries. 

“All of them were wearing their belt restraints,” Morgan said.  

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, he said, though rain and wind may have been contributory factors.