The Chevrolet Blazer that hit and killed a local bicyclist waits to be towed yesterday afternoon. Photo by Liz Frantz.
Two recent back-to-back traffic fatalities in Los Gatos brought surprised gasps from the audience at last night’s town council meeting.
Town manager Greg Larson addressed the accidents at the begining of the meeting, calling them “tragic and sad.”
Mayor Diane McNutt said that these ‘‘horrific accidents’’ should be used as a reminder to town residents to slow down and drive more safely.
‘‘No one needs to be somewhere badly enough to endanger themselves or others like this,’’ McNutt said.
The most recent crash accured Monday morning at 8:38am, and resulted in the death of Joshua West, a 28 year old Los Gatos resident who was biking to work.
In that accident, Kevin Derr, 50, lost control of his Chevrolet Blazer heading east on Lark Ave. The vehicle hit Joshua West as it crossed onto the sidewalk before the intersection at Garden Hill Drive.
Witnesses to the accident reported the Derr’s truck appeared to be speeding and was unable to stop when he realized the cars ahead of him weren’t moving.
“All of a sudden we just saw the truck come bouncing through there’’ said a man who witnessed the collison from a nearby office building window. “I’m always looking out here because I like cars. You always hear the cars skidding.’’
He said the truck swerved to avoid hitting cars that were stopped at the intersection by steering into the right turn lane.
“The sun was right in the guy’s eyes. He was caught off guard and swerved, then fishtailed out-of-control through the intersection and crosswalk,’’ the witness said.
The truck hit a “no pedestrian crossing” sign and bounced off a traffic light pole, knocking down a traffic light. It then hit the Joshua West on his bicycle, just missing a truck that had gone through the yellow light.
“It was obvious he [the bicyclest] was dead,” said the witness.
After the crash, Derr was pulled from the wrecked truck alive and was rushed to Valley Medical Center. He was arrested for vehicular manslaughter while at the hospital.
West was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was described by the witness as “just a normal guy, wearing work clothes and a cap.” Yesterday afternoon, traffic lights at the busy intersection were flashing red as police investigated the site and worked to redirect traffic.
The other major car accident happened Sunday morning and resulted in the death of one passenger. One person was killed and the three others in the car were sent to the hospital in the single vehicle accident that left a trail of debris along Los Gatos Boulevard.
Police report that the driver, 23 year old Timothy Priolo, was speeding down Los Gatos Bouleard toward Nino Ave. in a Ford Mustang and lost control of his vehicle. The car bounced off the median, hit a tree and smash into a power pole.
“It’s amazing anyone [inside the car] survived the crash,” said Sergeant Kerry Harris of the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department. He said the car was destroyed in the accident, and pieces of the Mustang were discovered over 100 yards up the road from where the vehicle was found.
“The entire engine was blown from the frame of the car by the force of impact and was sitting 15 yards away. The right front fender and door were missing.
There was almost no part of the car that wasn’t damaged,” said Harris. The crash also caused electricity to go out at the nearby El Camino Hospital, but back-up generators prevented more than a momentary lapse, staff said.
The Mustang’s driver,Timothy Priolo, has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under a suspended license. The Santa Clara Coroner’s office has not yet released the name of the person killed in the crash.
Anyone with additional information about either accidents is encouraged to contact the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department at 408-354-8600.
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