CHP warns about danger of stopping on freeway after 2 fatalities
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Law enforcement officers are warning about the dangers of stopping on the freeway after two fata crashes over the weekend.
They said the issue is distracted drivers. And in some cases, stopping to help, can turn one crash into two.
Just a few hours and a few miles apart, there were two crashes that CHP officers said should have never happened.
The first happened in San Jose and involved a tow truck driver.
"The tow truck driver got out of the vehicle and went into the lanes to retrieve something," said CHP Officer Ross Lee.
That is where he was struck and killed.
Friends identify him as Samuel Rivera and say he leaves behind a 3-year-old son.
The tow truck's dash cam recorded a white Toyota Rav 4 leaving the scene.
"This person did not stop," said Lee.
Later along Interstate 880 near Fremont, there was another hit-and-run that began as a single car accident.
Two good Samaritans, a man and a woman, stopped to help.
"Another car came along, a Ford F-150 and crashed into that whole scene," said Officer Kylie Musselman of CHP Hayward.
The driver killed one of the good Samaritans, the woman, instantly.
That driver left his truck and fled on foot.
"The fact of the matter is the freeway is not a safe place for you or for us," said Musselman.
And that is the message CHP wants to get out: it's not a good idea to stop on the freeway, even if you think you're helping.
"If you don't need to be out of the vehicle, don't be out of the vehicle," said Lee.
They say the risk that you will be hit by a distracted driver is simply too great. To drive home that message, CHP points to their own vehicles.
Over nearly three weeks in late February and early March, three of their patrol cars were struck as officers helped people on the highway.
"Making sure that you reduce your exposure is the most important thing," said Lee.
Authorities are still searching for the drivers in both those fatal accidents. Anyone with information should contact CHP.