A Watsonville man suffered major injuries when he was thrown
from a vehicle after it collided with a big rig on southbound U.S.
101 at Coyote Creek Golf Drive, according to the California Highway
Patrol.
A Watsonville man suffered major injuries when he was thrown from a vehicle after it collided with a big rig on southbound U.S. 101 at Coyote Creek Golf Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Watsonviile resident Alejandro Juarez Mendoza, 20, was driving a 2000 Ford Expedition about 70 mph in the fast lane shortly after noon Wednesday, when his passenger, Julio Quintana, 33, complained of trouble breathing, according to a CHP press release. Quintana may have grabbed the driver’s arm, steering wheel or both, causing the vehicle to make a sudden turn across all lanes of traffic, colliding with the big rig.
The right front of the SUV struck the left front corner of the big rig, causing the Expedition to roll several times down an embankment before coming to rest on the shoulder of the off ramp. Quintana was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle. He suffered major trauma to his head and was taken to San Jose Regional Hospital.
Mendoza, who was wearing a seat belt, suffered minor abrasions and also was taken to San Jose Regional Hospital.
Chuan Yang, the 37-year-old driver of the big rig, was not injured.
The accident is under investigation, though it is not alcohol related, CHP officials said in the release.
The Coyote Creek Golf Drive off ramp was closed for about 15 minutes to remove the vehicle.
