A 23-year-old Fresno resident was killed in a single-vehicle
accident on Fairview and Fallon roads early Sunday morning when he
lost control of his Yamaha motorcycle due to excessive speed,
according to police.
Hollister – A 23-year-old Fresno resident was killed in a single-vehicle accident on Fairview and Fallon roads early Sunday morning when he lost control of his Yamaha motorcycle due to excessive speed, according to police.
Jason Michael Minke, who was in Hollister visiting his father, was driving southbound on Fairview Road just north of Fallon Road at approximately 100 mph when he lost control of his motorcycle around 2am, said San Benito County Undersheriff Pat Turturici.
Minke was wearing a helmet, but due to the high rate of speed he was traveling at, when he crashed he was thrown from the bike onto the side of the road and suffered major head trauma, Turturici said. The bike, which Turturici said was a high-performance model, skidded several hundred yards into a construction area and broke into a number of pieces.
Minke’s family members could not be reached for comment Monday.
California Highway Patrol Capt. Otto Knorr said that police determined Minke, who died at the scene, had been drinking due to the odor emitted at the scene. However, blood tests will be performed during an autopsy to determine his exact blood alcohol level.
Although the accident that took Minke’s life was speed-related, the intersection at Fairview and Fallon roads is ranked one of the 10 most dangerous intersections in San Benito County, according to county traffic data. County officials are working on improving the intersection by installing left turn lanes so both the northbound and southbound traffic can turn left onto Fallon Road.
A right-hand turn lane will also be added on southbound Fairview Road, turning onto Fallon Road. Currently, drivers waiting to make a left turn from Fairview onto Fallon block traffic on the two-land highway, which has a posted speed limit of 55 mph.
Supervisor Don Marcus said construction work at the intersection has begun, and while Minke’s death isn’t a direct result of the dangerous intersection, he hopes improvements will reduce the possibility that anyone else will lose their life on that stretch of road.
“With the increased traffic it has become more of a dangerous intersection and I’m glad they’ve started work,” Marcus said. “They are much needed improvements.”
Officials hope to have improvements, which will cost an estimated $460,000, complete by December.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com.
