Woman Dies After Car Plunges From SJ Freeway Onramp Into Pond
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- One woman was killed Sunday afternoon when her car went off the Almaden Expressway onramp to state Highway 85 and landed in a pond, according to a California Highway Patrol spokesman.
Witnesses say the vehicle, which appears to have been traveling from a nearby Costco store, failed to make a turn on the ramp and instead drove straight up a curb, through a fence and into the pond around 2:40 p.m., CHP Officer DJ Sarabia said today.
The car became submerged in the pond, which Sarabia said serves as a holding tank for the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Bystanders and emergency responders tried to reach the driver, who was trapped inside, but were unsuccessful.
Sarabia said the woman, whose identity has not yet been released, was removed from the vehicle by divers around 3:15 p.m. and taken to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where she was declared dead.
Although initial reports suggested there might be more than one person in the car, Sarabia said divers found only one victim.
Investigators have not yet determined whether the woman was speeding or what caused the accident, Sarabia said.
The ramp and surrounding area has been cleared and is open to traffic.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed)
