Update: The medical examiner today identified the fatality as Felipe Loza, 29, of Hayward. The other injuries were a man and woman, each 35, from Oakland, riding another motorcycle that collided with Loza's. The woman's injuries were major, while the man driving, and another man, 45, from Hayward, on a third motorcycle, sustained only minor injuries.
The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig-Alert Saturday afternoon at 4:58 p.m. and closed both northbound lanes of Hwy. 17 through Los Gatos due to a major accident a few yards south of the eastbound Hwy. 9 exit. Two motorcycles in a group collided--one man was killed and another was said to be seriously injured. Another person may have been injured in the crash, as well.
The accident appeared on CHP computers at 4:47 p.m: "2 motorcycles down, 3 injured. Ambulance required. Possible fatality." Santa Clara County Firefighters responded first and performed first aid on the injured, particularly one man who "didn't look good," according to motorists. Witnesses said that the paramedics seemed to "beat on him hard" for some time in an attempt to revive him, but were eventually forced to concede defeat. The other injured people had been taken from the scene by 5:35.
Los Gatos/Monte Sereno officer Steve Wahl arrived and helped a growing number of CHP officers to secure the scene. Other Los Gatos police officers diverted northbound freeway traffic through downtown Los Gatos. Hundreds of people stranded between the S. Santa Cruz Ave. exit and the Hwy. 9 exit were forced to wait for over an hour.
Shortly after 6 p.m., the CHP positioned patrol cars to protect the fatality and directed traffic to ease by on the right shoulder. The coroner was reportedly stuck in the northbound 17 traffic. At 7:19 p.m., the CHP computer reported that the end of the backup was in Scotts Valley, over 13 miles away, and advised motorists to take alternate routes.
