Crime & Safety
Update: Man Killed in Hwy 17 Crash Near Los Gatos
Fatality occurs when car goes off southbound Highway 17 rolling down hill near Los Gatos Tuesday afternoon.
Updated: 8 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22: A man was killed Tuesday afternoon at around 5 p.m. when his car went off the road while traveling southbound on Highway 17 near Alma College Road, south of Los Gatos.
"We believe the individual ran off the roadway and succumbed to his injuries," said CHP spokesman officer Christopher Falkowski.
There are no witnesses to the accident, Falkowski added saying the victim was a young man, approximately 25 years of age, driving a 2005 GMC SUV sports utility vehicle.
Although his identification has not been established yet, CHP officers believe based on the vehicle's registration that the victim could possibly be from Capitola, Falkowski said.
The Santa Clara County Coroner's Office will have to ID the body, Falkowski said, adding that investigators won't know if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash until a toxicology report is completed by the coroner.
"We don't know what caused the collision," Falkowski said. "We don't know if it was speed, if he was swerving from not hitting a deer ... the primary collision factor is still under investigation."
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Updated: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22: Highway 17 southbound lanes have been cleared and a Sig-alert issued by the CHP was lifted around 9 p.m. after a fatal solo-vehicle crash near Lexington Reservoir Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities aren't releasing any additional information about the crash or the identity of the driver at this time.
The victim plummeted about 100 feet down an embankment while traveling southbound on the highway near Alma College Road, south of Los Gatos.
"We believe the individual ran off the roadway and succumbed to his injuries," said CHP spokesman officer Christopher Falkowski.
There are no witnesses to the accident, Falkowski added saying the victim was a young man, approximately 25 years of age, driving a 2005 GMC SUV sports utility vehicle.
Although his identification has not been established yet, CHP officers believe based on the vehicle's registration that the victim could possibly be from Capitola, Falkowski said.
The Santa Clara County Coroner's Office will have to ID the body, Falkowski said, adding that investigators won't know if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash until a toxicology report is completed by the coroner.
"We don't know what caused the collision," Falkowski said. "We don't know if it was speed, if he was swerving from not hitting a deer ... the primary collision factor is still under investigation."
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Updated: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22: Highway 17 southbound lanes have been cleared and a Sig-alert issued by the CHP was lifted around 9 p.m. after a fatal solo-vehicle crash near Lexington Reservoir Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities aren't releasing any additional information about the crash or the identity of the driver at this time.
The victim plummeted about 100 feet down an embankment while traveling southbound on the highway near Alma College Road, south of Los Gatos.
—By Bay City News Service
One person was killed when a car went off of southbound state Highway 17 and rolled down a hill near Los Gatos this afternoon, a California Highway Patrol officer said.
The solo-vehicle accident was reported at 5:09 p.m. near Alma College Road, south of Los Gatos.
The car went off the road for unknown reasons and tumbled about 100 feet down a hillside, CHP Officer Ralph Caggiano said.
A person in the car was pronounced dead at the scene, Caggiano said.
A Sig-alert was issued at 5:34 p.m. One of the two southbound lanes is blocked because of the accident, Caggiano said.
There is no estimated time for when the lane will reopen, he said.
Copyright © 2014 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
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