Watsonville Man Ejected, Killed In Crash; Woman Injured: CHP

WATSONVILLE, CA — Two people were ejected in a single-car crash on state Route 129 in Watsonville that killed a man and left a woman seriously injured late Tuesday night.

The driver, a 33-year-old Watsonville man, was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, a 44-year-old Watsonville woman, suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized at Natividad Medical Center, according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol.

Neither the driver nor the passenger was wearing a seatbelt.

Officers responded to an 11:54 p.m. report Tuesday of a car driving too fast and going off the roadway on Route 129 west of Lakeview Road. A woman was seen walking near the scene and appeared injured, and a second person was no longer visible, the CHP said.

Officers found one person trapped beneath the car.

The driver of the 1999 Lexus appeared to be speeding on westbound Route 129, lost control, veered off the north edge of the road, crashed into a dirt ditch and overturned several times, the CHP said.

Watsonville police reopened one lane at 12:27 a.m.

Alcohol and drugs may have played a role in this crash, the CHP said. It continues to investigate.