A Hayward man died in a head-on traffic collision in Morgan Hill Sunday night, according to police.
Morgan Hill Police officers responded to reports of a traffic accident on Condit Road about 8pm Feb. 2. Officers arrived to find a two-car head-on collision just north of East Dunne Avenue, according to police.
Arriving officers immediately saw that the drivers of both cars had suffered major injuries, authorities said. Police and fire department personnel worked “feverishly” to rescue both drivers. However, one of the drivers, later identified as 39-year-old Tapelu Tapelu, of Hayward, died at the scene.
The driver of the other vehicle, a 49-year-old Morgan Hill woman, was extracted from the vehicle by emergency crews, police said. She was flown to an area trauma hospital for emergency treatment. The woman was listed in “stable” condition after initial treatment.
Morgan Hill Police traffic officers responded to the scene to conduct an investigation. Officers determined that Tapelu was driving south on Condit Road in a Nissan Altima, police said. As he negotiated a turn in the road south of Diana Avenue, his vehicle drifted into the northbound lane and collided head-on with an Audi driven by the Morgan Hill woman.
Tapelu was not wearing a seatbelt, and police think alcohol was a factor in the crash.
The police are still investigating the accident. Anyone with information can call the MHPD Traffic Unit at (408) 776-7300.
