Video captures chain of crashes on Highway 101 in Palo Alto
PALO ALTO — The California Highway Patrol has identified a 44-year-old Sunnyvale man as the suspected DUI driver who crashed into a disabled Honda Civic on Highway 101 early Sunday morning, a collision that sent three women to the hospital.
The crash in the southbound lanes of Highway 101 near University Avenue occurred just moments after an initial collision between the Civic and a BMW, according to the CHP. The first crash was sparked when a 66-year-old Palo Alto man behind the wheel of a BMW slowed down to look at a fatal collision that had occurred about 30 minutes earlier in the northbound lanes, according to the CHP.
As the BMW slowed down it was rear-ended by the Civic, which spun out and came to a stop facing oncoming traffic.
The three passengers and driver of the Civic were attempting to get out of the car when a blue Nissan traveling southbound collided head-on with the Civic, the CHP said. The three passengers, all 30-year-old women, suffered injuries described by the CHP as “minor to major” and were taken to Stanford hospital.
The driver of the blue Nissan, identified as Shawn Thomas, 44, of Sunnyvale, was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, according to the CHP.
The BMW driver slowed down to see the aftermath of a fatal crash involving a wrong-way driver in the northbound lanes of 101. About 2:06 a.m., a 2007 Chevrolet traveling south in the northbound lanes crashed head-on with a Mercedes traveling in the fast lane, according to the CHP.
The Chevrolet immediately caught fire and became engulfed in flames with the driver trapped inside. As of Monday morning the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office had not identified the wrong-way driver who was killed in the crash.
The driver of the Mercedes, a 25-year-old San Mateo man, suffered a broken leg and was taken to Stanford hospital.
Any information regarding any of the three collisions can be directed to to the Redwood City California Highway Patrol Office by calling 650-369-6261.