Fiery wrong-way crash in Santa Clara kills both drivers

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A wrong-way crash in Santa Clara late Wednesday morning killed the drivers of both vehicles involved, police said Thursday.

The crash happened just before noon on Montague Expressway at the Lafayette Street overpass. The Santa Clara Police Department said officers who responded to a report of a vehicle collision found a GMC SUV on its side fully engulfed in fire and a silver Honda pickup truck.

Police said the two men who were driving the vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters with the Santa Clara Fire Department arrived to extinguish the fire. 

According to police, the investigation indicated the GMC was traveling south on Montague Expressway on the wrong side of the road when it struck the silver Honda pickup heading north. The GMC also was traveling over the posted speed limit, police said, but the speed was not known yet known as of Thursday morning.

The identities of both drivers will be released later by the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner after their families are notified.

Police asked any witnesses to the collision to contact the department.