The Sunnyvale Sun

News

Sunnyvale is site of car crash after long chase on freeways

By Jason Goldman-Hall

The lawn on the southwest corner of the Mathilda and Iowa Avenue intersections has two deep tracks dug into it, and several teenagers are still in the hospital after a carjacking that ended in Sunnyvale on Nov. 17.

Just before 10 p.m., four teenagers allegedly forced San Jose resident Damian Dan out of his 2004 Chevy Malibu at 17th and St. John streets in San Jose and sped off.

The car was next seen traveling southbound on Highway 87 near Highway 85. San Jose Police officers chased the car northbound on Highway 85 until California Highway Patrol officers began chasing it near Saratoga Road.

With at least two highway patrol cars in pursuit, the driver of the car sped onto Mathilda Avenue and ran several red lights before crashing into a traffic light pole at the Iowa and Mathilda intersection.

The front half of the vehicle wrapped around the door, while the back half traveled almost 50 yards more near the back of the World Savings Bank.

At the time of the crash, there were six males--all minors--in the car. Two of them were able to flee the scene on foot, but they were apprehended, and all the occupants were taken in for medical care.

The driver and one passenger were sent to Stanford Hospital with major injuries and listed in critical condition. The other boys, who have been released from the hospital, were arraigned. Details were not released because they are juveniles, said Delores Nuam of the Santa Clara County Probation Department

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the chase and the crash, and the SJPD is handling the criminal investigation.

He also said that it is not known at this time whether the boys were attempting to get to a specific location in Sunnyvale or if the Mathilda Avenue exit had been chosen arbitrarily.