A head-on collision between two vehicles on Oregon Expressway this morning claimed the life of a passenger and sent both drivers to the hospital.
On Thursday, February 22, 2018 at about 4:42 a.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received multiple calls of a major injury collision on Oregon Expressway just east of the intersection with West Bayshore Road. Officers arrived on scene right away, as did personnel from the Palo Alto Fire Department. The drivers of both vehicles, as well as a passenger in one of the vehicles, were transported by paramedics to a local hospital. The passenger, a woman in her sixties, later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
The preliminary investigation conducted by our Specialized Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) team revealed that a silver 2018 Kia Optima four-door sedan had been exiting the off-ramp from southbound U.S. Highway 101 to westbound Oregon Expressway. That vehicle, driven by a male in his sixties from Livingston, crossed the center median and collided head-on with a white 2011 Ford Transit van (driven by a male in his thirties) that had been driving in the number one lane of eastbound Oregon Expressway. The woman who ultimately passed away was a front seat passenger in the Kia, and was married to the Kia’s driver.
Both drivers sustained minor to moderate injuries, are speaking with investigators at the hospital, and are expected to survive at this point. Police are not releasing the passenger’s identity; that information can be obtained from the Santa Clara County Media Examiner-Coroner’s Office.
Police do not believe that drugs or alcohol were a factor in this collision. The investigation into the cause of the collision is ongoing. The driver of the Kia was not been cited or arrested pending the outcome of the investigation.
Officers closed the eastbound lanes of Oregon Expressway from the time of the collision until 9:35 a.m. to allow the STAR team to safely conduct their investigation and collect evidence. The closure prevented access to U.S. Highway 101 in both directions from Oregon Expressway during the morning commute, and drivers were directed to Embarcadero Road or San Antonio Road as alternatives.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through our free mobile app, downloadable at www.bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or www.bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.
