GILROY
– California Highway Patrol officers were kept busy this weekend
after collisions halted traffic on U.S. 101 twice in South
County.
GILROY – California Highway Patrol officers were kept busy this weekend after collisions halted traffic on U.S. 101 twice in South County.
All three lanes of southbound U.S. 101 north of Leavesley Road were closed Friday night after a two-vehicle collision that moderately injured two Redding, CA residents.
According to the CHP, 19-year-old Juan Lopez of Redding was driving southbound in heavy traffic at about 8:54 p.m. Friday when his 1990 Toyota Tercel rear-ended a pickup truck driven by Hollister resident Ty Rogers, 38, who had halted due to stopped traffic ahead on the highway.
Although Rogers reported no injuries, Lopez and a 16-year-old female passenger were both airlifted to San Jose-area hospitals with complaints of pain to the neck and back. CHP officers said details were sketchy but both were reportedly treated and released Saturday.
An 8-month-old baby in the Tercel was strapped into a car seat and was reportedly uninjured.
Meanwhile, northbound U.S. 101 was also temporarily closed again early Saturday morning due to a four-car chain-reaction crash just north of Cochrane Road in Morgan Hill.
According to the CHP, 18-year-old Caysi Green of Arastadero was driving her 1998 Chevrolet pickup at an unsafe speed in heavy rain at about 12:47 a.m. Saturday when she rear-ended a 1995 Mercury driven by 48-year-old Stephen Hulten of Gilroy, who had stopped due to stopped traffic ahead of him.
The impact caused a chain-reaction of collisions, CHP officers said. Hulten’s vehicle struck a 2001 Ford driven by 38-year-old Rebecca Chargin of Hollister, whose vehicle struck a 1995 Nissan leading the procession.
The three latter vehicles in the crash train came to rest in the roadway, sustained moderate to major damage and had to be towed from the scene. A passenger in Chargin’s vehicle, 47-year-old Joseph Chargin, was transported to Saint Louise Hospital via ambulance with a generalized complaint of pain and later released after undergoing treatment for minor injuries.
Monterey Road was not spared from accidents either. A 19-year-old Gilroy woman was also airlifted to the hospital Friday evening after being hit by a car as she tried to cross the road near Roosevelt Avenue in San Martin.
According to the CHP, 21-year-old Javier Silva of Gilroy was headed south on Monterey Road at about 6:05 p.m. Friday when he saw 19-year-old Maria Roman crossing the street in front of him.
Silva tried to avoid hitting Roman by applying the brakes and turning his 2002 Mazda Protege to the left, but the right rear of the car struck Roman.
Roman was airlifted to Valley Medical Center in San Jose after complaining of pain to her left leg and hip. Silva and a passenger were unhurt, but the Mazda sustained moderate damage.
