A 33-year-old Hollister man died in an accident this morning on
Highway 129 just west of the San Benito County border when a big
rig collided with his pickup truck’s passenger side. The man died
on the scene after the 9:30 a.m. accident about 500 feet west of
Chittenden Road – which is a few hundred feet from another serious
accident a day earlier.
HOLLISTER
A 33-year-old Hollister man died in an accident this morning on Highway 129 just west of the San Benito County border when a big rig collided with his pickup truck’s passenger side.
The man died on the scene after the 9:30 a.m. accident about 500 feet west of Chittenden Road – which is a few hundred feet from another serious accident a day earlier – when he lost control of his truck while leaving a shallow curve in the road, said Hugh Holden, public information officer for the Santa Cruz area office of the California Highway Patrol.
The Santa Cruz County Coroner’s Office is withholding the man’s identity pending notification of his next of kin, an office spokeswoman said.
The Hollister resident had been westbound in a 2003 Chevy S10 pickup when he left that curve in the road and lost control, likely due to wet conditions left by prior rain and a high rate of speed, Holden said.
His truck slid into the eastbound lane and was struck broadside by a 2001 Freightliner tractor carrying a 2006 Western flatbed, according to the CHP. The impact caused the two vehicles to continue east another 100 or so feet, Holden said.
The driver of the big rig was a 45-year-old man from Grants Pass, Ore., driving for A&M Transport. He sustained minor injuries, according to the CHP.
The CHP does not suspect drugs or alcohol were involved, but Holden noted how the accident remains under investigation.
