San Jose traffic deaths rise to 13 in 2024

Amy Larson
·5 min read

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — The number of fatalities from traffic collisions in San Jose rose to 13 this year. The most recent victim died on April 1, after clinging onto life for three months inside a hospital, the San Jose Police Department said.

According to SJPD, the victim was driving a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck on the night of January 7 when it ran a red light and crashed into a Buick Rendezvous on McKee Road.

The pickup truck veered into on-coming traffic and slammed into a tree off Berryessa Road, according to SJPD spokesperson Stacie Shih. The Buick driver suffered minor injuries and the Toyota driver was gravely injured.

Deadly traffic collisions have plagued San Jose in recent years. In 2023, there were 49 traffic-related deaths, including 27 pedestrian deaths. Just four months into 2024, more than a dozen victims have already lost their lives to crashes and accidents on San Jose roadways.

2024 Deadly Traffic Incidents In San Jose

  • Monterey Road and Skyway Drive: A GMC SUV was travelling southbound on Monterey Road when it struck an adult female pedestrian in a marked crosswalk on January 15 at 1:54 a.m. The driver stayed at the scene and the pedestrian died.

  • Umbarger Road and Senter Road: A woman was driving an Acura when it struck an adult male pedestrian who was crossing Umbarger Road. The driver remained on scene. Weeks after the crash, on January 13, the pedestrian succumbed to his injuries.

  • N. 13th Street and E. Santa Clara Street: A man was driving a Lexus and turning onto E. Santa Clara Street when it struck a bicyclist on the afternoon of June 25, 2023. The driver remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation. The man who was riding the bicycle died on January 24, 2024 from injuries suffered in the crash.

  • Quimby Road and S. White Road: SJPD wrote, “An unknown vehicle, occupied by an unknown driver, was travelling westbound on Quimby Road when it struck an adult male pedestrian who was running in and out of traffic” on January 11 at 6:43 a.m. The hit-and-run driver fled the scene and evaded arrest, police said. The victim, 26-year-old Vincent Thach, died on January 27 from his injuries.

  • Story Road and Jackson Avenue: On January 30 at 6:40 p.m., “An unmarked unit assigned to the Violent Crimes Enforcement Team (VCET) attempted to perform an enforcement stop on a 2006 Kawasaki Motorcycle in the area of Adrian Way and Story Road. The vehicle immediately fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. An unrelated marked SJPD patrol vehicle was making a legal U-Turn on a green light at the intersection of Jackson Avenue from westbound Story Road onto eastbound Story Road when it was hit broadside by the fleeing motorcycle. Video evidence revealed the motorcycle was traveling at excessive speeds eastbound on Story Road against a solid red light at Jackson Avenue,” Officer Tanya Hernandez wrote. The motorcyclist died.

  • Elm Street and McKendrie Street: A father of two was out for his morning walk when a garbage truck ran him over on January 22. The pedestrian, Silvino Eloy Garcia, was in an unmarked crosswalk when he was hit by the truck, investigators said. He died days later in a hospital.

  • Piedmont Road and Sierra Road: On February 3 at 5:41 p.m., a 2006 white BMW sedan was traveling on Piedmont Road where it suddenly veered off the roadway, crashed into a light pole, and slammed into a tree. A man who was driving the BMW fled the scene, leaving his gravely-injured female passenger behind, police said. The woman died soon after.

  • 800 block of Saratoga Avenue: A man was backing a Volkswagon Touareg utility vehicle out of a driveway on Saratoga Avenue when it struck a woman who was walking on the sidewalk at 2:09 p.m. February 10. The pedestrian died. The driver remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation.

  • Story Road and Galahad Avenue: On February 10 at 12:13 p.m., a man was driving a Honda Civic sedan on Story Road through a green light when it struck a man who was walking northbound in the east crosswalk against a red light. The pedestrian died.

  • 4400 block of Hamilton Avenue: A motorcyclist riding a black Kawasaki Ninja crashed into a woman who was riding on a bicycle at 6:43 p.m. on March 7. The female bicyclist died three days later.

  • Highway 280 and Saratoga Avenue: A man was driving a Mitsubishi Mirage when it struck a pedestrian on March 31 at 7:40 p.m. Police said the pedestrian was in a crosswalk but may have been crossing against a red light. The driver remained on scene and cooperated with police. The pedestrian suffered fatal injuries.

  • Nieman Boulevard and Daniel Maloney Drive: Before sunrise on April 3, a hit-and-run crash was caused by a speeding juvenile driver, police said. A black 2017 Chevy Camaro sedan was traveling at a high rate of speed when it ran a stop sign and crashed into a Nissan Frontier pickup truck. The man who was driving the Nissan Frontier was pronounced deceased at the scene. The juvenile driver fled from the scene. “Patrol Officers later located a juvenile that is believed to be the driver of the black Chevy Camaro. The juvenile was taken into custody,” Officer Tanya Hernandez wrote.

  • McKee Road and Francis Drive: A man was driving a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck on the night of January 7 when it ran a red light and crashed into a Buick Rendezvous on McKee Road, police said. The pickup truck then veered into on-coming traffic and slammed into a tree off Berryessa Road, according to police. The Toyota driver died on April 1 from injuries he suffered in the wreck.

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