Driver run over, killed by his own truck

Investigators are sorting out the circumstances leading up to a fatal truck crash south of San Jose Thursday morning that killed a 50-year-old man, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

The crash was first reported to the CHP around 9:15 a.m. at Hicks and Alamitos roads on the edge of Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

The man was driving a three-axle diesel truck hauling dirt downhill from Mount Umunhum on eastbound Hicks Road near Alamitos Road and merged left to pass another truck, CHP Officer Ross Lee said.

He continued driving to the left and the vehicle partially went up a hillside, Lee said.

At some point the driver came out of the truck, but it’s not clear if he was ejected or he jumped out, according to Lee.

The man struck a dirt wall and landed on the road where he was run over by his truck, Lee said.

The vehicle continued traveling on the road where it overturned and went 100 feet down an embankment, according to Lee.

The man was found on the roadway where paramedics performed CPR for about 30 minutes before they declared him dead at the scene, according to Lee.

Officers were initially concerned the truck’s fuel leaked and may have spread to a nearby creek. They later found no gas spilled, Lee said.

Investigators don’t suspect drugs or alcohol were a factor.

They’re also looking into whether a medical or mechanical issue played a role in the crash, according to Lee.

Bay City News

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