Hollister
– A Los Banos man died Saturday after colliding with a large,
metal trellis that fell off of a truck driving in front of him on
Highway 156.
Hollister – A Los Banos man died Saturday after colliding with a large, metal trellis that fell off of a truck driving in front of him on Highway 156.
Gilbert Martinez, 49, was westbound on Highway 156 riding a 2004 Harley-Davidson motorcycle just after 4:30pm when the trellis fell off a pickup truck, struck another vehicle and then hit the motorcycle. The accident occurred just west of Highway 25.
The pickup driver could face criminal charges for failing to properly secure the trellis because California law requires that loads be secure, CHP Officer Brad Voyles said.
The motorcycle overturned and ejected Martinez. Martinez was taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital with severe injuries to his head and upper torso. He was pronounced dead an hour after the accident, according to the Hollister-Gilroy California Highway Patrol.
Voyles said the trellis fell from the bed area of a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup driven by Juana Salinas, 56, of Hollister. The trellis had been secured by a rubber strap, which either came unhooked or snapped, Voyles said.
Once the CHP finishes its investigation into the accident, it will forward its report and charging recommendation to the San Benito County District Attorney’s office for review, Voyles said.
After becoming dislodged, the trellis hit a 2000 Dodge Dakota westbound in front of Martinez’s motorcycle. The driver of the Dodge Dakota, Oscar Rodriguez, 59, of Hollister, swerved to avoid the trellis but couldn’t. The trellis deflected off the Dakota and hit Martinez, according to the CHP collision report.
The CHP, the California Department of Forestry and the Hollister Fire Department all sent emergency personnel to the scene of the accident. Attempts to resuscitate Martinez failed, and he later died of his injuries in the emergency room.
The helmet Martinez was wearing was not approved by the California Department of Transportation. Alcohol was not a factor in the collision.
Voyles said he did not know when the CHP would finish its investigation into the crash or what criminal charges Salinas could face.
