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Woman dies in San Jose multi-car crash
Several people were taken to local hospitals with varying injuries, police said.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A woman who died in a fiery multi-vehicle accident over the weekend has been identified.
Chain-reaction car accident
What we know:
On Monday, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner named the woman as Kimberly Karnes, 33.
San Jose police said she was killed on Sunday just before 4 p.m. at Santa Teresa Boulevard and Blossom Hill Road.
That's when police said a man driving a silver 2020 Mercedes sedan struck a green 2016 Kia sedan. The Kia, driven by a woman now identified as Karnes, was changing lanes to enter the dedicated left-turn lane for eastbound Blossom Hill Road, police said.
Both vehicles then collided with a white 2024 Tesla sedan with a man, woman and child inside, police said.
The Tesla then collided with a green 2004 BMW sedan. The force of the collision and resulting chain reaction also caused the Kia to strike a white 2014 Toyota sedan, police said.
At that point, the silver 2020 Mercedes caught fire with its driver and passenger still inside. Responding officers quickly extricated both people inside that car,
All occupants in the involved vehicles, except for the driver of the green BMW, were taken to local hospitals with varying injuries. Karnes, the driver of the green Kia, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The driver of the Mercedes remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Police said it looks like alcohol or drugs do not appear to be factors.
This marks the city’s 18th fatal collision and 18th traffic-related death of 2026.