Two people—one a Hollister resident and one from Gilroy—died in a collision on Highway 25 near the border between Santa Clara and San Benito counties, according to authorities.
The Santa Clara County Coroner and Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims of the fatal accident as Erick Javier Andrade, 24, of Gilroy; and Priscilla Paulina Jones, 35, of Hollister.
About 12:33am Oct. 28, California Highway Patrol’s Monterey office received a report of a crash on State Route 25 south of Bloomfield Avenue, according to the CHP. Officers from the CHP Hollister-Gilroy officer responded and found two vehicles blocking the roadway, with both drivers unresponsive.
The initial investigation found that Andrade was driving a 2018 Nissan Sentra at an unknown speed south on Highway 25 just south of Bloomfield Avenue, police said. Jones was driving a 2012 Dodge Charger northbound on Highway 25, also at an unknown speed.
For an undetermined reason, the Nissan swerved from a direct course of travel to the left, crossing double yellow lines into the northbound lane, the CHP said. This resulted in the front of the Nissan colliding with the front of the Dodge, causing fatal injuries to both drivers—who were pronounced dead at the scene.
No other occupants were in either vehicle. Highway 25 was closed in both directions for about five hours while authorities investigated the scene, police said.
It is unknown if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash, police said.
Jones had been a 911 dispatcher for Santa Clara County for more than seven years, says a statement from the county’s emergency communications office. Specifically, Jones had been a law enforcement and medical dispatcher as well as a communications training officer.
Jones had three children, and was a co-owner, with her husband, of Mmm Churros in Hollister, according to numerous reports.
“Priscilla took great pride in her work and being able to help those around her,” says a statement from the county, posted on social media Oct. 29. “We will always hear her calming voice and how professional and compassionate she was with her callers.
“She provided much-needed laughter to the rest of us in our downtime. Priscilla was certainly proud to be a dispatcher, but she’d tell you that her biggest achievement was being a wife and mother to three beautiful children.
“Our hearts will remain heavy with her loss, and our deepest condolences go out to her family and loved ones.”
News of the deaths prompted an area resident, Erica Morton, to start an online petition urging officials to immediately implement safety measures on Highway 25, which has been the site of numerous traffic accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities over the years. Those accidents have occurred along Highway 25 all the way from the Santa Clara County line past Tres Pinos in San Benito County, according to authorities.
Morton posted the online petition on Oct. 29 on change.org, calling on elected officials and transportation authorities to install barriers and/or k-rails along the roadway.
“We need our leaders and (Caltrans) to listen to us now,” reads a part of the petition. “Many accidents could have been prevented, this is our time to have our voices heard.”
Plans have long been in the works to expand Highway 25, which has seen steadily increasing volumes of vehicle traffic as San Benito County has grown rapidly in recent years. There is no timeline for when the highway expansion project might begin construction.
Anyone with information about the Oct. 28 collision can call the CHP Hollister-Gilroy office at 408.427.0700.
