Coroner IDs Motorcyclist Killed In Hwy 17 Crash

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – A motorcyclist killed in a collision with a car Tuesday night on state Highway 17 in Los Gatos has been identified as 42-year-old Steven Smith, according to the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office.

Smith was driving a 2014 BMW motorcycle on southbound Highway 17 and was involved in a collision with a 2016 Jeep Cherokee south of Lark Avenue reported around 8:10 p.m., California Highway Patrol officials said.

When officers reached the scene, they found the motorcycle in vegetation right of the freeway and the Jeep on the right shoulder, according to the CHP.

An investigation determined Smith was traveling at high speeds across all lanes of southbound Highway 17 and a woman from Phoenix driving the Jeep was also heading south at about 55 mph, according to the CHP.

The motorcyclist made an unsafe turn and struck the right rear of the Jeep, CHP officials said.

Smith was ejected from the vehicle, went airborne and landed in the vegetation on the right shoulder. Smith's helmet came off when he was thrown from the motorcycle, CHP officials said.

The Jeep driver pulled over and waited for officers. Emergency personnel arrived and found the motorcyclist far from the bike, CHP officials said.

They gave medical aid to Smith before he was transported to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, where he died of his injuries, according to the CHP.

Drugs or alcohol are not suspected factors in the collision, CHP officials said.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the CHP San Jose area office at (408) 467-5400 or a 24-hour tip line at (800) 835-5247.

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