One Dead, Two Injured, Hit-And-Run Suspect At Large Following Horrific San Jose Crash
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- One person was dead, two others hospitalized with injuries and a suspected hit-and-run driver remained at large Friday morning after a horrific three-vehicle collision in San Jose.
"The suspect immediately fled on foot after the crash and a description is being worked on now as detectives are putting the pieces together," said Officer Steve Aponte.
The impact of the crash caused the victim to be thrown to the sidewalk from the Nissan he was riding in, where he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say that a BMW was going westbound on Santa Clara at 10th street at about 10:30 pm, when it struck the Nissan -- pinballing it into a storefront -- and then hitting another car which was waiting for the light to change.
The two other drivers who were injured are listed in stable condition.
"This is another heart breaking fatal crash on our streets," said Colin Heyne with the San Jose Department of Transportation, which is monitoring a rise in fatal crashes in San Jose this year.
"This brings us to 42 people who have sadly died on our streets this year," Heyne said.
It's also the 12th fatal hit and run so far in 2021, compared to the nine fatal accidents recorded by the SJPD last year.
"This is a very dangerous corner. This is the second crash this year," said Robin Hunt-Fitzhugh, who owns the Braid It Up salon which was damaged when the Nissan was pushed through the windows.
Her security cameras don't show the crash, but she's calling on San Jose to install cameras that can record traffic on a constant loop at this intersection.
"It will hold a lot of people accountable from ignoring the lights that are there," Hunt-Fitzhugh said. Police are asking for the public's help in identifying the BMW driver, who's now facing serious felony charges and possible prison time if caught.
The coroner's office has identified the deceased victim as Ravneel Vilash of Hayward. He was 22 years old.
