Fatal Crash Of Overturned Truck On Hwy 101 Involved Sleepy Driver

SAN JOSE, CA -- The California Highway Patrol was hopping Wednesday morning, issuing a severe traffic warning because of a fatal crash involving a man asleep at the wheel of an overturned box truck that blocked the northbound side of U.S. Highway 101 north of McKee Road in San Jose.

Traffic was being diverted at Alum Rock. The highway has since reopened all lanes but not before causing a traffic backup.

According to the CHP, the passenger in the back seat, a 64-year-old male, was killed in the crash because he was not properly restrained. The driver was injured and transported to a nearby hospital. The 67-year-old man told officers he was sleepy during the drive from Los Angeles when he dozed off and ran the truck onto the right shoulder.

"One thing we tell people is drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence," he said. "You as the driver have to take responsibility and pull over," CHP spokesman Ross Lee said.

Caltrans cleaned up the debris from the truck and the embankment off the highway while attempting to fix the guardrail. The truck was transporting security equipment.

The truck's gas tank was punctured, spilling fuel onto the roadway that washed away in a downpour.

"It was raining heavily at the time, so it kind of washed it away," Lee said.

The Santa Clara County Coroner was called out at 4:32 a.m., about an hour after the call initially was made.

Earlier in the day at about 7 a.m., Interstate 680 in the same area was blocked from a crash on the northbound side because of a vehicle that crashed near Alum Rock. CHP indicated the driver left his vehicle in the lane, prompting other cars to crash into it. That incident has also since cleared.

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