Five injured, one dead after crash on Highway 101 near Prunedale

PRUNEDALE, Calif (KION-TV)- The CHP confirms that a 22-year-old San Martin man died after a three-car crash on Sunday around 1:54 a.m.

A 2002 Lexus was stalled on the southbound lanes of Highway 101 at State Route 156. The driver and his passengers were trying to push the car out of the roadway.

According to CHP, they were hit by a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 going south on Highway 101, and the driver was flung onto the road.

A few minutes later, an on-duty Monterey County Sheriff's Officer was driving a patrol vehicle and struck the driver of the Lexus lying on the roadway motionless, according to CHP. The driver died of his injuries on the scene, said the Monterey County Coroner's Office.

The passengers in the Lexus sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. One of them suffered minor injuries, while the other suffered major injuries.

The two in the Dodge Ram suffered minor injuries and were hospitalized. The MCSO deputy suffered minor injuries. Monterey Area personnel responded and are investigating both crashes, according to CHP.

It is unknown whether drugs and alcohol were factors in the first crash, according to CHP.