A 46-year-old Morgan Hill man was killed late Monday afternoon
when his motorcycle was struck by a pickup turning in front of him
on Uvas Road, just west of Watsonville Road in southwest Morgan
Hill.
A 46-year-old Morgan Hill man was killed late Monday afternoon when his motorcycle was struck by a pickup turning in front of him on Uvas Road, just west of Watsonville Road in southwest Morgan Hill.
George Gera was riding a Harley Davidson Softtail westbound on Uvas Road, and Gerald A. Gingerelli, 57, of San Jose, was traveling eastbound on the road in a GMC pickup at approximately 5:17pm. He lived about a mile from the crash scene.
CHP Officer Matt Ramirez said Gingerelli began to turn left across the road into a private driveway, driving directly into Gera’s path.
Apparently aware that the pickup was pulling in front of him, Gera braked hard, Ramirez said, which caused the motorcycle to topple on its side. Gera slid into the right rear wheel of the pickup.
The speed the motorcycle was traveling is not known, but Ramirez said the preliminary investigation does not show the speed was excessive, based on the damage to the motorcycle and the pickup.
Neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be factors in the accident, Ramirez said, although the investigation into the accident is ongoing.
Although Gera was wearing a helmet, Ramirez said he believes the helmet was not one that is Department of Transportation approved.
Gera was pronounced dead at the scene.
Traffic on Uvas Road was stopped for “a considerable time” while officers thoroughly investigated the scene, as is the protocol for a fatal accident, Ramirez said.
Gingerelli was not cited. Once the investigation is completed, a report with recommendations will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s office if the investigation indicates Gingerelli was negligent.
“It looks like we’re dealing with a right-of-way issue here,” said Ramirez. “But until the investigation is completed, I don’t want to speculate. In general, anytime there’s a death involved that could possibly have been prevented, then you’re looking at charges of at least misdemeanor manslaughter.”
“Of course, we’re going to conduct a thorough investigation, looking at all aspects, before we file a report,” Ramirez said Tuesday. “These are serious, life-altering charges. And the DA’s office may choose to accept our recommendation or not. The Santa Clara County DA’s office does a good job of looking into things before making a decision about charges. The usually come out and walk the scene with our officers, besides studying the report.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@mo*************.com or phoning (408) 779-4106, ext. 202
