A man who was killed in a multi-car pileup on U.S. Highway 101 in San Mateo early Sunday morning has been identified as 29-year-old Mariano Ortega of San Martin, Argentina.

At about 12:50 a.m., a white pickup truck crashed into the center divider and came to rest blocking the left lane of southbound Highway 101 near Poplar Avenue at about 12:50 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. Ortega was a passenger in the backseat of a 2010 Mazda that was involved in a chain-reaction crash caused by the stopped truck, according to the CHP.

Ortega was declared dead at the scene. The driver of the Mazda, a 30-year-old man from Palo Alto, was taken to Stanford Hospital with major head injuries, CHP Officer Art Montiel said. The driver of the pickup truck fled the scene of the crash but contacted the CHP later that day and agreed to be questioned. The driver had not been cited or arrested as of Tuesday morning, and the CHP was continuing to investigate the collision.

It has not been determined whether drugs or alcohol played a role, according to the CHP. Anyone who might have witnessed the crash is urged to contact CHP Officer Graham at 650-369-6261 ext. 308.

— Bay City News Service

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