A tragic roadway encounter claimed a life Friday on Highway 101 in South San Jose, where a car collided with a big rig, resulting in the death of a 22-year-old male from San Jose. The California Highway Patrol reports that the accident transpired just north of Blossom Hill Road shortly after 11:15 a.m.
An initial inquiry revealed that a Honda sedan driver managed to quickly get onto the freeway in the wrong direction at Blossom Hill Road. Engaging the southbound traffic as an errant northbound ghost, the driver prompted the southbound big-rig operator to swerve sharply to the left to avoid a collision, but ultimately to no escape.
The big rig, failing to clear the sedan, collided, causing the Honda to spin out and rest against the median while the truck halted in the two leftmost lanes. CBS San Francisco reported that the Honda driver was ejected and pronounced dead on the scene at 11:31 a.m. by Santa Clara County medical responders, with his name withheld pending family notification.
Fuel was spilled from the extensively damaged truck, leading authorities to shut down the affected lanes while dealing with the hazardous leak. CHP San Jose advised the public of the incident and consequent delays, alerting drivers to be ready to seek out alternate routes, as documented in a traffic advisory on their page. By afternoon, they had managed to carefully re-open the lanes, restoring partial flow after hours of closure.
The impact on the traffic flow spanned several hours, with the number 1 and 2 lanes initially closed. The CHP San Jose's traffic update indicated that while the number 2 lane was first to clear, the number 1 lane remained shut longer before, finally, both lanes were declared open.
Both lanes are now open
— CHP San Jose (@CHPSanJose) May 25, 2024
While the cause behind the driver's wrong-way entry remains unclear, CHP San Jose officials have not ruled out impairment due to drugs or alcohol. They have since appealed for witnesses to step forward and contact the CHP San Jose area office at 408-961-0900 with any information related to the fatal collision.
