Woman Dies In Head-On Palo Alto Collision With Delivery Van: PD

PALO ALTO, CA — Oregon Expressway has been reopened in Palo Alto following a two-vehicle collision early Thursday morning that resulted in the death of a woman and left her husband and another man injured, according to police. Eastbound Oregon Expressway was closed at West Bayshore Road — blocking access to U.S. Highway 101 — for several hours as police investigated the fatal crash. Just after 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Palo Alto police announced via Twitter that the road closure had been lifted.

According to Palo Alto police Sgt. Brian Philip, the woman, who was in her 60s, was rushed to Stanford Hospital, where she died from her injuries. She was the front-seat passenger in a silver 2018 Kia Optima four-door sedan driven by her husband, also in his 60s, of Livingston, the sergeant said in an updated news release.

Police conducted a preliminary investigation and determined that at 4:42 a.m. Thursday, the Kia driver was exiting the off-ramp from southbound U.S. Highway 101 to westbound Oregon Expressway when he crossed over the center median on Oregon Expressway and collided head-on with a food delivery van — a 2011 Ford Transit — driven by a man in his 30s.

Both drivers were taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries described as minor to moderate, the sergeant said — rather than critical as initially reported.

Thursday afternoon, Philip said both men were expected to survive their injuries and were speaking with investigators.

The identity of the woman who died will be released by Santa Clara County coroner's officials.

Palo Alto police initially closed all westbound lanes from southbound U.S. Highway 101 to West Bayshore Road for investigation purposes, Philip said. About an hour later, one westbound lane was opened to the public.

The cause of the fatal collision remains under investigation, according to the sergeant. Investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol were factors, he said.

"The driver of the Kia was not been cited or arrested pending the outcome of the investigation," Philip said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call PAPD's 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through PAPD's mobile app.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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