CHP Release More Details On Fatal Tree Fall And Crash On Hwy 17
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY (CBS SF) -- An 84-year-old man was killed and an 85-year-old man was seriously injured Thursday afternoon in Santa Cruz County when a tree fell on a Cadillac Escalade they were in, the California Highway Patrol said Friday.
The two elderly men were headed northbound on state Highway 17 south of Summit Road when a tree toppled over around 3:30 p.m.
The tree collided with the Cadillac, causing a pileup of around 10 total vehicles. Only the people in the Cadillac were injured.
The driver, who lives in Aptos, suffered major injuries, according to a news release from the CHP. The other man was killed.
The Santa Clara County Coroner's Office is investigating the death, and a spokeswoman said Friday that authorities had not yet confirmed his identity.
Chopper 5 video Thursday afternoon showed CHP investigating an earlier injury crash on northbound Highway 17 with a single overturned car before coming across the second incident involving multiple vehicles and a downed tree.
The two accidents shut down lanes in both directions for hours, snarling traffic on Highway 17. Authorities were able to reopen all northbound lanes at about 7 p.m.
A spokesman for the CHP did not immediately return a call asking for more information.
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