Santa Clara County sheriff’s detectives and medical examiners
are investigating the death of a San Jose man after he was found
unconscious on the side of State Highway 152 by police Tuesday
afternoon.
Santa Clara County sheriff’s detectives and medical examiners are investigating the death of a San Jose man after he was found unconscious on the side of State Highway 152 by police Tuesday afternoon.
Detectives originally investigated the man’s death as a homicide, but have since ruled out the possibility, detective Sgt. Dean Baker said Wednesday.
Baker would not elaborate on why they suspected it except to say, “The nature of the way the guy went down made it look like a possible homicide.”
“It is no longer a homicide investigation,” he added.
Pending the investigation’s findings, detectives are not releasing the name of the dead man, although they said they have notified his family.
An autopsy was conducted Wednesday, but Baker said the cause of death would not be available for some time.
Sheriff’s officials said the victim is Asian, in his late 50s, and was found unconscious at about 3:30 p.m. by California Highway Patrol officers alongside state Highway 152, east of state Highway 156.
He was a passenger in a black compact car driven by a male friend, also from San Jose. Detectives detained and questioned the friend but did not take him into custody.
There was no collision or crash involved, Baker said. CHP found that the driver had pulled off the four-lane highway onto a shoulder turnout.
A CALSTAR medical helicopter flew the man to San Jose Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Sheriff’s officials ask anyone with information about this matter to call Baker or Sgt. Dave Gordon at 408-808-4500, sheriff’s operations at 408-808-4405 or their 24-hour tip line at 808-4481.
