A car southbound on San Felipe Road this afternoon drifted into
the northbound lane for unknown reasons, hit a ditch and flipped in
the 5100 block north of Highway 156. The crash caused
”
moderate
”
injuries to the male juvenile driver and two juvenile male
passengers, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Dave Hill said on the
scene.
Two juveniles airlifted after rollover on San Felipe
A car southbound on San Felipe Road this afternoon drifted into the northbound lane for unknown reasons, hit a ditch and flipped in the 5100 block north of Highway 156. The crash caused “moderate” injuries to the male juvenile driver and two juvenile male passengers, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Dave Hill said on the scene.
The accident occurred outside the residence of Miryam Pfister, who said she had been sitting at home on the couch because she was sick and that around 2:10 p.m. Monday, she heard a “squish” when the car flipped onto its roof.
The car then rolled back onto its wheels but was facing northward. She said she went out to see what had happened and found all three people in the car conscious, although only the driver was speaking and all were trying to get out.
When more emergency personnel arrived on the scene, they cut off the top of the car to gain access to the passengers. The two passengers were airlifted by Calstar to two different Bay Area hospitals. The driver was taken to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital.
Hill said there was no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash. Pfister said the driver told her he had fallen asleep at the wheel.
The three occupants were trying to get out of the car when Pfister came out to see what had happened. While she was outside with the juveniles, Pfister said no one stopped for 15 minutes because “everyone drives so fast.”
On the scene were members of the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, Calstar, CalFire and the San Benito County Fire Department. A representative from PG&E was also on scene.
Look back later for video coverage of the scene.
Five injured in 3-car crash on Hwy. 156
By Larry Parsons, McClatchy News Service
Five people were hurt in a three-vehicle accident that knotted traffic on Highway 156 in northern Monterey County on Sunday.
The accident occurred about 10:40a.m. at Highway 156 and Castroville Boulevard, emergency workers said.
There were nine people traveling in three vehicles – a Honda sedan, a pickup and a minivan – and five were taken to local hospitals by ambulance, said North County fire Lt. Brian Wilson.
One of the injured was going to be flown by air ambulance but it was too overcast for the helicopter flight, Wilson said.
The Highway Patrol said four of the injured were in a 2001 Honda Accord driven by Eusebio Oliverio, 38, of Fremont. He and his passengers, Leticia Bautista, 63, Maria Bautista, 39 and a 9-month-old child, all of Fremont, were taken to Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital. The CHP said their injuries ranged from minor to the driver and infant to moderate to the other two passengers.
Also suffering minor injuries was Nicholas Simpson, 30, of Arcata, who was driving a 1994 Chrysler Town & Country, the CHP said. He was taken to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
The other vehicle, a 2008 Chevrolet pickup, was driven by Sonny Tan, 32, of Sunnyvale, the CHP said.
CHP officers said Simpson was stopped at a red light on Highway 156 at Castroville Boulevard. Oliverio’s Honda was stopped behind him.
The CHP said Tan was headed west on the highway at a stated speed of 50 mph and didn’t see that traffic had stopped in front
of him. Moments after the signal turned green, his pickup hit the rear of the Honda, and pushed the car into the minivan and then into a light pole, the CHP said.
The pickup driver was unhurt, the CHP said.
The CHP said the accident remained under investigation, and officers ask anyone with information about the crash to call the CHP Monterey area office at 796-2100.
