A Morgan Hill man died Wednesday night or early Thursday
morning, probably from injuries suffered in a collision on U.S. 101
near Blossom Hill Road in San Jose.
A Morgan Hill man died Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, probably from injuries suffered in a collision on U.S. 101 near Blossom Hill Road in San Jose.
Manuel Santillan, 40, was driving or riding – California Highway Patrol officers are not yet sure which – in a Chevrolet Lumina northbound at about 9:20 p.m. Wednesday when the car hit a big rig traveling 55-65 mph in the slow lane, CHP Officer Brad Voyles said. The car was registered to Santillan, who lived and worked in Morgan Hill.
The Chevrolet spun out and ended up in the center divider, after which two Hispanic males were seen fleeing from the scene. When a search of the area for the two men proved unsuccessful, officers left.
At 6 a.m. Thursday, CHP in San Jose received a call that a body was seen in the center divider on U.S. 101, one-half mile north of Blossom Hill Road.
Voyles said the man’s body was curled up around the center divider.
“It looked as if he could have been hiding,” Voyles said, adding that the way the man’s body was placed might account for officers missing not seeing him during the nighttime search.
Santillan was identified by papers on his body, Voyles said. The coroner will determine the cause of death but Voyles predicted Santillan died from internal injuries, possibly complicated by a medical condition and drugs or alcohol in the system. He weighed more than 300 pounds and had run away from the officers and traveled at least the half mile to where the body was found.
CHP Officer Tony Porter, who is investigating the case, said Friday morning that the coroner had matched the blood on the car’s airbag with Santillan.
“He was definitely in the vehicle,” Porter said.
Other tests to determine the presence of drugs or other substances will take longer, Porter said, but there does not appear to have been any foul play.
A woman called CHP Friday to report the name of a man who was partying with Santillan.
The second man is being sought for questioning, Voyles said.
Officers will also be contacting a man whose identification card was found near Santillan but would not say if they are the same person.
Charges will likely not be filed against the second man, Voyles said, if he was a passenger in the car and Santillan was driving.
“If Santillan was the passenger, however, the situation changes and criminal charges could be filed against the other man,” Voyles said.
The driver of the big rig, Calvin Jackson of Victorville, complained of pain but refused medical treatment, Voyles said.
The Lumina’s driver caused the crash, he said.
