In what Morgan Hill Police Lt. Joe Sampson called an
“aberration,” the department handled three serious accidents
over the weekend; two resulted in fatalities.
In what Morgan Hill Police Lt. Joe Sampson called an “aberration,” the department handled three serious accidents over the weekend; two resulted in fatalities.
The first accident occurred during the afternoon Saturday, approximately 3:23 p.m. when two motorcycles were apparently driving too fast on Native Dancer approaching the Santa Teresa Boulevard intersection. When officers responded, they found two men down.
Gregory Wilson, 43, of Morgan Hill, was unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse. They began attempting to resuscitate the victim until fire and paramedic units arrived. However, the efforts to revive Wilson were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Santa Clara County Coroner’s office determined the cause of death to be from blunt force to the thorax and abdomen from the accident.
Robert Haygood, 36, of San Martin, suffered minor injuries.
Based on preliminary investigation, Sampson said, the men were riding in tandem when Haygood started to veer towards Wilson. As Wilson attempted to swerve away from Haygood’s motorcycle, he went up onto the curb and was thrown into tree. Both drivers were wearing helmets. Sampson said Monday that excessive speed was probably a factor in the accident.
Haygood was charged with driving on a suspended license. Toxicology reports are pending, and the investigation is ongoing.
The second weekend accident came at 2 p.m. Sunday when Sgt. Rick Rodriguez was parked on the right shoulder of south Monterey Road near Live Oak Avenue assisting another officer as he cited an unlicensed driver.
Rodriguez was assisting with traffic by running his police lights and an arrow to notify drivers to avoid the officer and a tow truck.
While Rodriguez was in the car and talking to the tow truck operator, he glanced in his rear view mirror and yelled to the tow truck operator to get out of the way when he saw a car veering into the back of the police car. The car hit Rodriguez’s left rear bumper.
Rodriguez’s vehicle was hit as Valente Zuniga Munguia , 26, of Morgan Hill, traveling south on Monterey Road veered onto the shoulder and crashed into the police car.
The vehicle was pushed approximately 50 feet as a result of the impact. Rodriguez was taken to Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy and released shortly after. Munguia and his passenger were not injured. Munguia was booked into county jail charged with driving under the influence, driving without a license and driving without insurance.
Later Sunday, at approximately 11:45 p.m., another accident led to Morgan Hill’s fourth collision-related fatality in 60 days. Rigoberto Espinosa Maya, Jr., 26, of Greenfield, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by medical personnel.
Although the accident is still under investigation, police have determined that Maya was southbound on Monterey Road approaching Vineyard Boulevard. He was driving a Toyota Tundra. Apparently, the traffic light at Vineyard turned red, and Maya continued through the intersection. Larry Parker of Morgan Hill, driving a Dodge van towing a 26-foot Airstream trailer, entered the intersection from Vineyard.
Maya clipped the van and lost control of his truck, striking a street light, a bus stop bench and the Jack In the Box restaurant, police said.
The damage to the restaurant was considerable.
Morgan Hill Police are continuing to investigate the accident and are awaiting the coroner’s report to find out if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the accident. Maya was driving on a suspended license for DUI arrests in 1996 and 2002.
Staff Writer Dave Steffenson contributed to this story.
