Driver dies in fiery crash in San Jose on Capitol Expressway

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A speeding driver in San Jose crashed along Capitol Expressway early Sunday morning and died in the resulting fire, police said on Monday.

The solo-vehicle crash happened just before 2 a.m. at the intersection of E. Capitol Expressway and Cunningham adjacent to Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose. The San Jose Police Department said a sergeant was patrolling the area at the time and heard the collision. 

The sergeant located a severely damaged Toyota Camry in the roadway and it was determined that the Camry was headed south on E. Capitol approaching Cunningham when for some reason it collided with construction safety barriers in the center median, police said.

The Camry then caught fire, and after the fire was put out, the driver, an adult male, was extricated from the wreck and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

It was San Jose’s 11th fatal collision and 11th traffic death of 2026. The driver’s identity was withheld until his family could be notified.

Police asked anyone with information about the crash to contact Detective DelliCarpini #4103 of the Police Department’s Traffic Investigations Unit at 4103@sanjoseca.gov or 408-277-4654.