One person died early Saturday in a crash involving several vehicles on southbound Highway 101 in San Jose, a wreck that closed every southbound lane for more than three hours, the California Highway Patrol said.
The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. just north of the Tully Road off-ramp, according to CHP, as reported by NBC Bay Area. Early reports described a single-vehicle crash, but officers later determined that multiple vehicles were involved.
What officers found
CHP said responders were told of a possible ejection and of an occupant trapped in a vehicle, and that many of the vehicles had major damage. One person was killed. Authorities have not released the name of the person who died, and CHP has not said what caused the crash or whether anyone else was hurt.
All southbound lanes were closed while crews worked the scene and cleared the wreckage. They reopened around 9 a.m., NBC Bay Area reported. CHP is investigating.
A busy stretch of freeway
The section of 101 near Tully Road runs through East San Jose between the Interstate 280/680 interchange and Capitol Expressway, and it is one of the South Bay's main north-south commuter routes. A full closure there, even early on a weekend morning, pushes drivers onto surface streets such as Monterey Road and King Road.
Anyone who saw the crash or has dashcam video can contact the CHP's San Jose office, which handles freeway collisions in the area. Investigators typically look at speed, impairment and lane changes in multi-vehicle wrecks, but none of those has been named as a factor in this one.
Bay Area Brief will update this story if CHP or the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner releases more details, including the victim's identity.