A woman died in a three-vehicle collision on Highway 152 east of Gilroy Saturday night, according to authorities.
About 5:11 Dec. 21, an unidentified woman was driving a Jaguar, “at a speed greater than 55 miles per hour,” westbound on Highway 152 just west of Lover’s Lane, reads a press release from the California Highway Patrol. For unknown reasons, which are under investigation, the Jaguar crossed the double-yellow line and began traveling westbound in the eastbound lane.
The driver of the Jaguar lost control of the vehicle and collided with a 2001 GMC, which was traveling east in the eastbound lane of Highway 152, police said. The impact caused both the Jaguar and GMC to spin out and catch fire.
The Jaguar subsequently traveled into the path of a Freightliner truck, which was traveling westbound on Highway 152, according to the CHP’s press release. The front of the Freightliner collided with the Jaguar, which continued out of control onto the north shoulder of Highway 152. The Jaguar collided with a retaining wall before coming to rest.
After the initial impact, the GMC collided with a metal guardrail on the south shoulder of Highway 152 and came to rest, according to police. Passing motorists stopped to help the driver of the GMC exit the vehicle. The driver was later transported to an area hospital with major injuries.
The driver of the Freightliner, which stopped on the north shoulder of the highway after the collision, was uninjured.
The driver of the Jaguar was unable to exit the vehicle, and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Authorities have not yet released the woman’s name.
All three vehicles were driven by solo occupants. It is currently unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the collision, according to police. The accident is still under investigation.
