CHP Sgt. Hans Spohr walks away in dismay after examining the

GILROY
– The South Valley had more than its share of accidents during
the Fourth of July weekend, including several fatalities – one
resulting from a head-on collision with a fire engine in
Gilroy.
GILROY – The South Valley had more than its share of accidents during the Fourth of July weekend, including several fatalities – one resulting from a head-on collision with a fire engine in Gilroy.

Firefighters are dealing with an accident that left a woman dead when she lost control and had a head-on collision with a South Santa Clara County Fire Engine on the Hecker Pass Highway.

“I’m sure no one would want to be involved in something like that,” Battalion Chief Mike Martin said about firefighters’ reaction to the accident.

Cheryl Christopher, 53, of Aptos, was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics after the accident occurred just after 9 p.m. Friday in the east-bound lane of the highway at the intersection of Elks Drive.

Christopher, alone in her car, was traveling west down the road when her car drove off the pavement on the north side of the roadway and overcorrected into the eastbound lane. The car was hit head-on by fire engine No. 3, stationed out of Bonfante Gardens and headed east. The fire engine was not responding to a call and was traveling within the speed limit. The vehicle’s lights and siren were not running.

Traffic on the highway was blocked until 1 a.m. Saturday to clean up the accident. There were three firefighters riding in the fire engine, and they were all taken to a local hospital where they were evaluated for injuries and released, Martin said.

“They were sore, but everything was OK,” he said.

The firefighters were given a minimum of 48 hours time off, but Martin said he hopes they’ll take longer in case they have any further physical problems from the accident.

“(The firefighters) will make that evaluation,” he said. “We would prefer that they stay off longer than that.”

Martin said the fire engine was on precautionary patrol, heading out to stay visible on one of the most dangerous nights of the year as far as fire danger.

“It was going to look at areas we have problems with historically,” he said.

Martin said the fleet manager’s initial reaction to the damage to the engine was that it was “totaled,” but it will be weeks before firefighters know whether they can salvage the engine.

The Gilroy Police MAIT Unit is conducting an investigation regarding the accident. Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact investigator John Sheedy at 846-0350.

Two motorcycle fatalities during the holiday weekend dampened what was a very busy Hollister Independence Rally for local law enforcement.

A 48-year-old Salinas man who attended the rally was killed in an accident Friday on Fairview Road near the intersection of Spring Grove Road, the California Highway Patrol said.

The 4:25 p.m. accident happened when the unidentified man was driving a 2002 Harley-Davidson motorcycle southbound on Fairview Road at an unknown rate of speed, the CHP said.

As the cyclist approached the Spring Grove Road intersection, a 1987 Dodge Ram van driven by Robert Orbuena, 41, of Gilroy made a left turn directly in front of the Salinas man, the CHP said.

Orbuena told officers that he could see the motorcycle. The motorcyclist slammed on his brakes in an attempt to avoid the Dodge, but skidded forward and struck the side of the van, the CHP said.

The cyclist, whose name was not available by press time, sustained severe head and body injuries in the collision and was taken by ambulance to Hazel Hawkins Hospital where, despite lifesaving efforts, he later died from his injuries, the CHP said.

Orbuena was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter, felony driving under the influence and being under the influence of a controlled substance. He is currently being held at the San Benito County Jail.

A Sacramento driver was killed and two others were injured Saturday night on Highway 152 in a head-on accident just west of mile marker 159, the CHP said.

Guadalupe Palafox-Balderas, 50, was pronounced dead at the 10:13 p.m. accident due to massive head trauma, the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office said Sunday.

Palafox-Balderas was traveling west on SR-152 east of Bloomfield Avenue in his 1990 Volkswagen Jetta when he made an unsafe turn and lost control of the car. The Jetta spun out of control and into the eastbound lane, where the right side of the car was struck by a 2003 Honda traveling the other direction. The force of the impact sent both the vehicles careening off of the highway.

The driver of the Honda, Michael Sanchez, 27, of Merced, told police the accident happened so fast that there was no time to react. He suffered a fractured right hand, while passenger Andrea Sanchez, 25, was life-flighted to San Jose Medical Center with a possible fractured pelvis. Both passengers were wearing seat belts, and their airbags deployed on impact.

Anyone with information about the accident should call the CHP at (831) 455-4860.

As more motorcycles roared out of Hollister on Sunday, at about 3:35 p.m., CHP officers were called out to a major injury accident on Highway 152 reportedly involving a motorcyclist who sustained a severe head and hand injury and had to be transported to San Jose Medical Center, the CHP said.

Fatal crashes and drunken driving arrests were higher across the state compared to last year, the CHP said.

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