Key Takeaways
- Three separate vehicle crashes in Santa Clara County killed three people over the July 25-26 weekend.
- Two victims were from Santa Cruz County: a 45-year-old Watsonville woman and a 56-year-old Aptos man.
- The third victim was a 34-year-old San Jose man riding a motorcycle.
- CHP says the crashes appear unrelated and are still under investigation.
- A Ford driver was arrested after allegedly fleeing the scene of a head-on crash on foot.
Three Lives Lost in Separate Crashes
A weekend of deadly collisions near Gilroy left three people dead, including two residents from Santa Cruz County. All three crashes happened in unincorporated Santa Clara County, according to the California Highway Patrol's Hollister-Gilroy Area office.
The first crash occurred Saturday evening on U.S. Highway 101 near the Sargent Bridge overpass. A 45-year-old Watsonville woman was riding a Honda motorcycle when she crashed for reasons still under investigation. Responding officers found her with serious injuries, and despite lifesaving efforts, she died at the scene. The Santa Clara County Coroner's Office has not released her name.
On Sunday afternoon, a 34-year-old San Jose man was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he collided with a Chevrolet Silverado towing a trailer on State Route 152 at Ferguson Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Reports differ on the exact timing: the San Jose Inside and Lookout reports said the crash happened Sunday afternoon, while NBC Bay Area listed it as Saturday. CHP has not offered a unified timeline.
Later Sunday evening, a 56-year-old Aptos man was driving a Toyota pickup on Bolsa Road north of Bloomfield Road when a Ford F-150 crossed into his lane and hit him head-on. The Toyota driver died at the scene. The Ford driver attempted to flee on foot before collapsing, according to CHP. He was arrested on suspicion of fleeing the scene of a crash.
Santa Cruz County Mourns Two Victims
The two Santa Cruz County residents killed in the crashes have not yet been publicly identified. The Watsonville woman and Aptos man are the only victims with local ties, making the weekend particularly painful for the Aptos and Watsonville communities.
Aptos is a small unincorporated community in Santa Cruz County, and Watsonville is the county's most populous city. Fatal crashes involving local residents on nearby highways are a recurring concern along the Highway 101 and State Route 152 corridors, which connect the Central Coast to the Bay Area.
CHP: Crashes Appear Unrelated, Investigations Ongoing
CHP said the three incidents did not appear to be connected. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased,” said CHP Hollister-Gilroy Area Commander Noel Coady. “This incident reminds each of us to ‘drive (or ride) to arrive.’ Adhering to traffic laws and driving/riding defensively can make the difference between reaching our destination safely, or tragedy.”
Investigators have not ruled out any potential causes in any of the crashes.
Background
The Hollister-Gilroy CHP office covers a mix of busy freeways, rural highways, and agricultural roads. Officials emphasized that most fatal crashes are preventable, and that speed and aggressive driving often play a role. The weekend's three deaths highlight the dangers motorcyclists and pickup drivers face on these routes.
Conclusion
As the investigations continue, CHP is asking anyone with information about any of the crashes to contact the Hollister-Gilroy office at (408) 427-0700. The community is left to grieve the loss of two residents whose names have yet to be released.