A 68-year-old Aromas man died in a solo car crash Saturday, three days after being reported as a missing adult, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene when emergency personnel found him at 11:25 a.m. Saturday. He had been driving a 1991 Honda eastbound on Highway 156 west of Merrill Road along the Highway 101 on-ramp. The car ran off the right shoulder for an unknown reason, traveled down a hill and rolled two times, according to the CHP.
The CHP is continuing its investigation regarding circumstances leading up to the man’s death. A report from the San Benito County Coroner’s Office, which could not be reached immediately to confirm the victim’s identity, should determine an estimated time of death, according to a spokesman for the CHP, Officer Herb Kellogg.
Kellogg said there is a “pretty good size hill” at the location, where a passer-by reported seeing the accident at some point after it had occurred. The first report came in at 11:21 a.m., minutes before emergency responders arrived.
“They didn’t see anything,” Kellogg said of the passer-by. “They just saw the vehicle there.”
It is unknown at this time if alcohol or drugs played a role. The CHP reported that the man had been reported missing Jan. 1, but Kellogg could not provide further information regarding the missing person’s report.
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