A 63-year-old San Jose woman was killed late Monday night after she got out of her Nissan Juke on northbound Highway 101 and was pinned between two vehicles when a third car struck her disabled Nissan. The crash happened south of the Oakland Road offramp around 11:28 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
The woman had been driving north on Highway 101 when she allegedly rear-ended a Toyota Prius, according to NBC Bay Area. After the initial collision, she stepped out of her car and stood between the two disabled vehicles on the freeway — a decision that proved fatal moments later when a third vehicle struck the Nissan and crushed her against the Prius, according to a report from the Johnson Attorneys Group. She was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
CHP said drugs and alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the wreck, and the collision remained under investigation as of Tuesday. Investigators impounded the Camry as physical evidence for the ongoing fatality probe, the same report notes.
Highway Reopened Before Dawn
San Jose Fire Department crews and CHP officers worked to clear the roadway, and northbound lanes of Highway 101 didn't fully reopen until 2:06 a.m. Tuesday, after the Camry was towed away. Emergency medical personnel also transported other surviving occupants from the involved vehicles to a regional hospital for treatment, per the same account.
Why Stepping Onto the Freeway Is So Dangerous
The tragedy underscores the danger of standing near disabled vehicles on a freeway at night. Passing traffic can pose a risk to people in that position.
California Vehicle Code Sections 22651 and 22651.05 address vehicle removal and impoundment in certain circumstances, according to the Dolan Law Firm. When CHP conducts traffic breaks — weaving cruisers across lanes to slow approaching cars around a hazard — state law requires other drivers to stay at least 300 feet back, a rule meant to protect both stranded motorists and first responders working close to live traffic.
A Corridor With a Troubled Safety Record
Monday's fatality adds to a grim tally along this stretch of freeway. Federal crash data analyzed by ValuePenguin ranked US Route 101 through Santa Clara County third nationwide for fatal-crash density, tallying 78 crash-related deaths over a five-year span on the corridor between Alum Rock and Sunnyvale, according to the Sasooness Law Group. A collision was also reported near the Oakland Road offramp.
Monday's crash occurred on state highway right-of-way rather than a city street.
