A 36-year-old Sand City man was found dead Monday morning inside his vehicle which crashed on U.S. 101 at the Coyote Creek Bridge north of Morgan Hill, according to police.
Some time between 10 p.m. Sunday and 5 a.m. Monday, the man, driving a 2004 Mercedes-Benz, was traveling south on the freeway when the vehicle swerved off the roadway for an unknown reason, according to a press release from the California Highway Patrol.
The vehicle left the roadway just north of the Coyote Creek Bridge, which is just north of Burnett Avenue, police said. The vehicle left the freeway on the left side of the southbound lane and into the center median. The right front of the vehicle collided with the guardrail and a chain-link fence, and then became airborne.
The Mercedes then collided with the shallow creek underneath the freeway over-crossing, and continued to roll over, police said. The driver, who has not yet been identified by the Santa Clara County Coroner’s office, was partially ejected, suffering fatal injuries. Police think the driver was not wearing a seat belt.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident. A “call check” for a vehicle collision, reckless driving and possible intoxicated driver was broadcast to the CHP dispatch center around the time of the accident, but no accident was located at that time, police said.
Pedestrians walking underneath the freeway overpass at 8:36 a.m. Monday saw the crashed Mercedes and called 911, police said. Police and paramedics arrived on scene, but the driver could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Alcohol and drugs are being investigated as a possible factor in the collision, police said. An inspection of the Mercedes was performed at the accident scene, and no mechanical defects were found.
