An elderly Hollister woman died in a single-vehicle accident
Tuesday after police believe she suffered a stroke and lost control
of her truck on Frazer Lake Road.
Hollister – An elderly Hollister woman died in a single-vehicle accident Tuesday after police believe she suffered a stroke and lost control of her truck on Frazer Lake Road.
Alice Andrews, 75, was driving between 50 and 60 mph on Frazer Lake Road, just south of Bloomfield Road, around 4:30pm when she may have had a stroke which caused her to lose control of her 2000 Chevy pick-up and drive off the road, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Brad Voyles.
Andrews veered across the oncoming lanes and onto the shoulder, where she hit a metal post and crashed through a barbed-wire fence, Voyles said. She continued over a dirt driveway, and the force and speed of her truck sent her airborne over a canal and into an embankment on the other side, Voyles said.
Andrews, who was wearing a seat belt, was treated by emergency personnel at the scene and flown to via Life Flight to Stanford Medical Center, where she later died, Voyles said. Andrews’ next of kin could not be located for comment and police refused to release the names of her family members.
While Voyles didn’t know Andrews’ medical history, he said emergency personnel who evaluated the woman at the scene believed some type of medical condition set the fatal events in motion. Andrews died at 5:55pm, and the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy Wednesday, according to coroner’s office personnel.
“When she hit the embankment there was enough blunt force trauma to (injure) a young person, let alone a 75-year-old,” Voyles said. “Your body just cannot stop that fast.”
While the stretch of road Andrews was traveling on is used as a route for many Hollister residents commuting to Santa Clara County, Voyles said it was fortunate there were no cars coming in the opposite direction when Andrews lost control.
“At certain times of the day there’s a ton of traffic,” he said.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
em*******@fr***********.com
