A man was killed yesterday on the southbound I-280 off-ramp at 10th Street in San Jose after he was struck by a vehicle and the driver took off before help arrived, according to the California Highway Patrol. Responding officers found the victim unresponsive with injuries consistent with being hit by a car, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say the motorist drove away, and so far, no description of the vehicle or driver has been released.
As reported by The Mercury News, callers had alerted authorities to a man walking into traffic on southbound I-280 through the 10th Street ramp. When officers arrived, they found him down in the roadway with injuries indicating he had been struck by a vehicle. The California Highway Patrol is handling the case as a hit-and-run, and the victim’s name is being withheld until the Santa Clara County medical examiner can confirm his identity and notify next of kin, the paper notes. The initial dispatch on the incident was filed by Bay Area News Group reporter Robert Salonga.
Investigators Seek Driver, Witnesses Urged
According to the California Highway Patrol San Jose Area, investigators are asking anyone who saw the crash or who has dash-cam or surveillance footage from the I-280 and 10th Street area to call the office at 408-961-0900. CHP officials say they are tracking down leads and reviewing available video and traffic-camera recordings. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the San Jose Area office so they can reconstruct where the vehicle was headed before and after the deadly impact.
Another Off-Ramp Death This Month
This crash comes on the heels of another fatal off-ramp collision in San Jose earlier this month, when a 63-year-old woman was struck and killed on the northbound I-680 off-ramp to Alum Rock Avenue, as reported by NBC Bay Area. The San Francisco Chronicle also covered the earlier hit-and-run, highlighting a troubling string of dangerous pedestrian incidents on Bay Area freeways this month.
Legal Note
Leaving the scene after a crash that causes injury or death is a crime under California law. Under Vehicle Code 20001, a hit-and-run that results in death or serious injury is punishable by prison time and fines, with stiffer penalties when the victim is killed…