A King City man was killed and four other people were injured in
an accident Friday when a sport-utility vehicle plunged 120 feet
down an embankment on Highway 152.
A King City man was killed and four other people were injured in an accident Friday when a sport-utility vehicle plunged 120 feet down an embankment on Highway 152.
Charles Joseph Watts, 27, of King City was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries, the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office said.
Stacey Gill, 24, of Salinas and two juveniles, 15 and 6 years old who were passengers in Watts’ 1999 GMC Yukon, were all taken by ambulance to St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy where they were treated for minor injuries and released, the California Highway Patrol said.
A black Labrador retriever in the vehicle was also injured in the crash. There was no word on the dog’s condition this morning.
Los Banos residents Christy Strickland and Bruce Gaillard were also taken by ambulance to St. Louise Hospital where they were treated for complaint of pain and later released, the CHP said.
The rush-hour accident, which closed the eastbound lanes of Highway 152 for more than an hour, happened when Watts was eastbound on Pacheco Pass at around 55 to 60 mph, the CHP said.
Strickland, who was driving just ahead of Watts in a 2000 Ford Focus, slowed for stalled traffic in front of her. Watts was reportedly not paying attention to the road while looking at spilled food on the console, and by the time he looked up he was traveling too fast to stop for traffic, the CHP said.
Watts slammed on his brakes but his SUV skidded forward, striking the rear of Strickland’s car, the CHP said. The force of the collision drove Strickland’s Focus into the cement center divider and into the rear of a 1993 Infinity driven by Gaillard.
Watts’ Yukon veered to the south edge of the highway after striking Strickland’s vehicle and overturned as it plunged down a 120-foot embankment, the CHP said.
Watts, who was not wearing his seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and was killed upon impact, the CHP said.
The collision of Strickland’s car with the center divider sent shards of cement flying into the westbound lanes. Some of them struck a 2002 Toyota Highlander driven by Ronald Hickock, 50, of Fresno, who escaped injury.
Investigators said neither drugs nor alcohol played a role in the accident, which is still under investigation.
