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3 dead, 5 hospitalized after chain reaction collision on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale

The 3 are killed after getting out of their vehicles

Courtesy Getty Images.

Three people died and five others were hospitalized after a chain reaction collision on U.S. Highway 101 just south of Fair Oaks Avenue in Sunnyvale early Monday morning.

All lanes of Highway 101 in both directions were shut down following the 12:28 a.m. collision and remained closed as of 8:15 a.m., according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Ross Lee.

Northbound traffic was diverted onto Lawrence Expressway during the closure. Southbound vehicles were diverted onto N. Mathilda Avenue.

The collision is under investigation. Preliminary information gathered by CHP indicated that a Ford pickup truck traveling north stuck the center divider and became immobilized, blocking some northbound lanes.

Vehicles then collided with the pickup and blocked the northbound lanes.

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Three occupants of the vehicles got out and were standing near their vehicles when another vehicle collided with them, causing two to be thrown into the southbound lanes, where another vehicle struck them, according to Lee.

In total, six vehicles were involved in the chain reaction.

All lanes on Highway 101 were reopened around 9:10 a.m.

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3 dead, 5 hospitalized after chain reaction collision on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale

The 3 are killed after getting out of their vehicles

by Thomas Hughes / Bay City News Service

Uploaded: Mon, May 22, 2023, 9:24 am

Three people died and five others were hospitalized after a chain reaction collision on U.S. Highway 101 just south of Fair Oaks Avenue in Sunnyvale early Monday morning.

All lanes of Highway 101 in both directions were shut down following the 12:28 a.m. collision and remained closed as of 8:15 a.m., according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Ross Lee.

Northbound traffic was diverted onto Lawrence Expressway during the closure. Southbound vehicles were diverted onto N. Mathilda Avenue.

The collision is under investigation. Preliminary information gathered by CHP indicated that a Ford pickup truck traveling north stuck the center divider and became immobilized, blocking some northbound lanes.

Vehicles then collided with the pickup and blocked the northbound lanes.

Three occupants of the vehicles got out and were standing near their vehicles when another vehicle collided with them, causing two to be thrown into the southbound lanes, where another vehicle struck them, according to Lee.

In total, six vehicles were involved in the chain reaction.

All lanes on Highway 101 were reopened around 9:10 a.m.

Comments

Bystander
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 22, 2023 at 9:32 am
Bystander, Another Palo Alto neighborhood
Registered user
on May 22, 2023 at 9:32 am

This sort of thing scares me. Staying in the vehicle after a collision on a highway is safer, unless of course there is a fire!

So sad to hear this, condolences to all those involved, RIP.


ALB
Registered user
College Terrace
on May 22, 2023 at 10:39 am
ALB, College Terrace
Registered user
on May 22, 2023 at 10:39 am

This is tragic beyond belief. 101 is crazy. Condolences to families whose relatives were killed in this violent accident.


Annette
Registered user
College Terrace
on May 22, 2023 at 4:46 pm
Annette, College Terrace
Registered user
on May 22, 2023 at 4:46 pm

Horrendous. I of course have no idea what caused the driver of the pickup to strike the center divide, but I found myself wondering if this horrible accident happened on a stretch of 101 that is loaded with potholes, which are of course terrible hazards.


Anonymous
Registered user
Duveneck/St. Francis
on May 22, 2023 at 7:31 pm
Anonymous, Duveneck/St. Francis
Registered user
on May 22, 2023 at 7:31 pm
Ryan Tanner
Registered user
Stanford
on May 23, 2023 at 7:13 am
Ryan Tanner, Stanford
Registered user
on May 23, 2023 at 7:13 am

This was a no-alternative tragedy. If the victims had remained in their vehicles, they probably would have suffered fatalities from the oncoming cars that collided with their disabled automobiles.

We never travel in the fast lane/commuter lanes anymore, just the middle lanes and far-right for exiting.


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