SAN JOSE (KRON) — Officers in the South Bay say wet weather and speed likely contributed to a fatal accident that happened this afternoon.
The driver lost control of his car and hit a tree.
A man in his 20s was killed in the crash.
A Honda was ripped into two as a tow truck driver tried to pull it off of the tree that it was wrapped around.
This happened several hours after a driver slammed into that tree.
“I just heard the screeches and then a big bang,” one witness said.
Officers say the driver of this car was going northbound along Meridian Avenue near I-280 in San Jose when he lost control and hit the tree.
The high speed mixed with the slick conditions turned into a deadly combo.
“Definitely anytime the roadways are wet, you need to slow your speed down. There was a solo vehicle accident, the driver was transported to the hospital where they later died of their injuries,” an official said.
Those in the area say the rain had stopped at the time of the accident but the ground was still a mess.
“The roadway is still wet and we definitely want people to drive safely [and] slow down their speed and be very cautious,” the official said. “We’ve had a lot of accidents recently since the rain has begun, so we are asking people to be very cautious.”
Traffic investigators were on scene for about five hours.
Traffic was at a standstill during that time.
Some in the area want the city to take action on this stretch of roadway.