GILROY
– A truck driver was killed and his passenger sustained minor
injuries early Friday morning when his freightliner tipped over on
Highway 152 west of Bell Station.
GILROY – A truck driver was killed and his passenger sustained minor injuries early Friday morning when his freightliner tipped over on Highway 152 west of Bell Station.
The name of the driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, has not yet been released by the county coroner’s office. The man was 43 years old and was from Wyoming.
Larry Burch, 50, of Salinas, was taken to San Jose Medical Center by CALSTAR. He was found unconscious by California Highway Patrol officers on the scene, however, he regained consciousness and complained of head and chest pain.
The accident occurred just after 6 a.m. Friday when the freightliner, traveling in the eastbound lane, began to drift slowly toward the right shoulder of the road. Once the truck reached the right edge of the highway, it overturned on its right side.
Neither passenger was wearing a seatbelt. The force of the accident caused the driver to be thrown out of his seat, and he came to a rest in the sleeper berth of the truck on top of the passenger.
“(The driver) bounced around inside of the cab,” said Terry Mayes of the CHP.
It also is unknown whether the passenger was in the sleeper cab or was sitting in the passenger seat when the accident occurred.
CHP officers did not know whether drowsiness or any medical condition caused the driver to lose control.
“We have no idea,” Mayes said. “We had a witness (who was in another vehicle on the highway) that saw him drift to the right.”
The truck, which is owned by Nielsen Trucking of Salinas, was loaded with ice, which spilled out all around the vehicle.
