A pedestrian and a motorist were killed in separate accidents on
south Santa Clara County roads in what the California Highway
Patrol Monday called a
”
busy
”
and
”
tragic
”
weekend.
GILROY – A pedestrian and a motorist were killed in separate accidents on south Santa Clara County roads in what the California Highway Patrol Monday called a “busy” and “tragic” weekend.
Joachim F. Huelsse, 60, was found dead Saturday morning 50 feet from his vehicle, which veered off Bolsa Road and into a creek bed late Friday night.
Huelsse was traveling south on Bolsa, between Highway 25 and the Pacheco Pass, approaching Bloomfield Road. The CHP does not know why Huelsse lost control of his vehicle before driving into a tree and vegetation near the creek bed.
Huelsse may have suffered a heart attack, CHP spokesperson Brad Voyles said.
“The responding officers don’t think he was thrown from the vehicle. They think he got out of his car for help, but died before getting very far,” Voyles said.
Huelsse died less than 100 yards from his Bolsa Road home. The accident happened before 11:50 p.m. Friday. Rescue personnel did not find his body until 8 a.m. the next day.
Another fatal accident happened Saturday around 9:40 p.m. when a pedestrian was run over while walking in the middle of a Pacheco Pass lane. An hour earlier, the pedestrian drove his vehicle off the road and through a pasture fence for unknown reasons.
The 27-year-old man, whose identity has not been released because his next of kin have not been notified, was apparently intoxicated, the CHP said.
The accident occurred on Pacheco Pass near Bell Station, eight miles east of Casa de Fruta. The CHP has not determined if the victim was from Salinas or Merced.
Jose Mercado, 47, of Fresno was the motorist who hit the victim. Mercado, who drove a 1985 Honda Accord, said in the CHP report he was driving 60 mph – 5 mph under the speed limit.
“The case is under investigation,” Voyles said. “It’s against the law to be walking in the roadway, but we have a situation where one driver avoids him and calls 911, and another driver fails to see him in time.”
Voyles said the law protects drivers who hit a person or an animal in the roadway, but only when the person or animal jumps directly in front of them.
“A driver is responsible if they hit something they could have avoided,” Voyles said.
In two other South County accidents, CHP are looking for two hit-and-run suspects.
An eastbound Pacheco Pass driver caused a three-car accident Sunday at 12:25 p.m. when he or she swerved into oncoming traffic. The accident occurred just west of Lovers Lane, where the red pickup truck went into the wrong lane for unknown reasons.
There were no fatalities or major injuries but drivers and passengers in the three vehicles complained of pain.
The other hit-and-run happened at 9 p.m. Friday when the driver of a black pickup truck made a left turn from Masten Road onto a U.S. 101 on-ramp in front of oncoming traffic.
Michelle Vance, 36, of Gilroy, was driving her Chevy Suburban west on Masten when she was cut off. Vance lost control of the vehicle and went off the road and down an embankment.
Vance did not suffer any major injuries but complained of pain. Her two passengers suffered cuts to the fingers and hands and were treated at Saint Louise Hospital.
None of the accidents appeared to be weather related, Voyles said.
Anyone with information about the two hit-and-run accidents should call the Gilroy-Hollister CHP Unit at (408) 848-2324.
