A multi-car crash in Gilroy this afternoon resulted in one fatality and left another driver with serious injuries.
Just before 2 p.m. on Thursday, officers from the California Highway Patrol were alerted to a multi-vehicle accident at the intersection of Monterey Road and Live Oak Avenue.
The CHP reports that the crash occurred when 45-year-old Daniel Arendt, driving a Freightliner, was heading east in the fast lane near the Live Oak Avenue intersection, preparing to turn left onto northbound Monterey Road.
A Honda driver, who unfortunately passed away at a local hospital, was traveling southbound in the fast lane on Monterey Road as they neared the same intersection.
The driver of the Honda, who is 35 years old, has not been identified by officials.
A 47-year-old man named Leonel Orozco was driving a Jeep north on Monterey Road when he came to a stop at a red light in the left lane, according to CHP.
Ricky Reyna, a 37-year-old driver of the Ford, was in the same lane and heading in the same direction as Orozco. The Honda driver ran a red light and crashed into Arendt at the intersection, as reported by the CHP.
The crash led the Honda driver to swerve into the northbound lanes of Monterey Road, resulting in a head-on collision with Orozco. The impact of the collision led to the Honda driver and Orozco’s vehicles flipping over, sending debris flying that ultimately hit Reyna’s car.
The CHP reported that Reyna and Arendt were unharmed in the accident. Orozco was hospitalized with serious injuries. Details about his current condition are not yet available.
The crash is not thought to involve alcohol or drugs.
If you saw the crash, please reach out to CHP officer E. Valesquez at (408) 427-0700.