One dead in Highway 17 traffic collision

CAMPBELL >> A 60-year-old Santa Clara woman died and three others were injured in a fiery crash late Monday night on Highway 17 in Campbell, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The collision was reported shortly after 9:30 p.m. in southbound lanes south of East Hamilton Avenue.

According to a CHP news release, the woman’s 2001 Ford Mustang was stopped in the No. 2 and 3 lanes of the highway for “unknown reasons” when it was struck by a 2006 Toyota Sienna. The impact was severe enough to cause both vehicles to catch fire.

The woman was trapped inside the Ford, which quickly became engulfed, the CHP said, adding that she could not be freed “despite heroic attempts by multiple bystanders.”

Firefighters pronounced the woman dead at the scene. The Santa Clara County Medical ExaminerCoroner’s Office is withholding her name pending notification of next of kin.

The driver of the Toyota, a 52-year-old Los Gatos man, was unscathed and helped extricate his three passengers, two of whom suffered major injuries, according to the CHP. A third had minor injuries. They were taken to Valley Medical Center for medical care.

All lanes of southbound Highway 17 were shut down for nearly an hour and a half as a result of the collision.

The crash remains under investigation, and anyone with information can call the CHP’s tip line at 800-TELL-CHP (835-5247) or the agency’s office in San Jose at 408-467-5400.