An 18-year-old Aromas man died and two people were seriously
hurt after a Toyota Camry collided with a black Silverado pickup on
San Juan Road near San Miguel Canyon Road on Thursday morning, the
California Highway Patrol reported.
Alia Wilson
An 18-year-old Aromas man died and two people were seriously hurt after a Toyota Camry collided with a black Silverado pickup on San Juan Road near San Miguel Canyon Road on Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The accident occurred about 7:45 a.m., when the green Camry was heading west on San Juan Road and crossed over into oncoming traffic, CHP officer Robert Lehman said.
A witness reported the Camry had been weaving, but it was not immediately clear why, Lehman said. The Camry’s driver, Gregory Robert Arnold, was killed in the crash, according to the Monterey County corner.
A 16-year-old Santa Cruz boy who was a passenger in the Camry was seriously hurt and flown to San Jose Regional Medical Center, he said.
The driver of the Silverado, a 24-year-old Watsonville man, was taken to Natividad Medical Center before he was transferred to San Jose Regional Medical Center to be treated for major injuries.
Everyone involved in the crash was wearing their seat belts, but both cars were totaled, Lehman said.
“Statistically, the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds is motor vehicle crashes. Unfortunately this happens far too often,” Lehman said. “Any traffic collision that involves a fatality is certainly hard for all families involved, but to lose those who are so young makes it even harder.”
When officers and medics arrived, the road was covered with debris. The Camry was in the road and the truck was in a field, facing the opposite direction, Lehman said.
Road closures were in place in the area until about 10 a.m., the CHP reported.
Animal Control had been called for a dog which was in the pickup. The dog was fine, officers said.
