Panoche
– A San Martin man was killed when he drove his car off Panoche
Road in the early morning hours Friday in a single-vehicle accident
that the California Highway patrol believes may have been
alcohol-related.
Panoche – A San Martin man was killed when he drove his car off Panoche Road in the early morning hours Friday in a single-vehicle accident that the California Highway patrol believes may have been alcohol-related.
The 48-year-old man, whose name wasn’t available by press time because his family hadn’t been notified, was dead when emergency crews arrived at the accident scene in southern San Benito County at 5:35am Friday, said CHP Officer Matt Ramirez. A motorist driving to work a little before 5:30am saw the vehicle at the bottom of a hillanear the road and called 911, Ramirez said.
“From what we can tell it appeared to have happened possibly the night before,” Ramirez said. “
While driving eastbound on Panoche Road, west of Little Panoche Road, the man allowed his auto to drift onto the shoulder after rounding a curve, CHP said.
When the man overcorrected, the auto shot back across the road and hit a wooden guardrail before sliding down an embankment.
Although the victim was wearing his seat belt, he was pronounced dead at the scene. In an unrelated accident at 1:20pm Friday, a 39-year-old San Martin motorcyclist suffered a broken leg and other injuries at the intersection of Murphy Road and Maple Avenue south of Morgan Hill.
Robert Enos was taken by helicopter to Stanford Medical Center where he was listed in fair condition later in the afternoon. He suffered a compound fracture, said CHP Officer Matt Ramirez.
CHP said Enos, who was behind a 2003 Toyota driven by John Berny, 42, of Morgan Hill, attempted to pass as the other driver began to make left turn from Murphy onto Maple.
Enos from thrown from his motorcycle in the collision.
