Police in San Jose are investigating a crash Monday evening in which a driver fatally struck a man who was clearing a tree branch on the road.
Officers were called to the area of Bird and Hull avenues around 8:45 p.m. after reports of a collision involving a pedestrian.
According to a preliminary investigation, the man had been northbound on Bird Avenue when he attempted to clear a “large” tree branch when the driver of a red 2019 Chevy Tahoe SUV struck him and the branch.
The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. His identity has not been released.
Police said the driver left the scene to seek medical treatment at a local hospital. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver did not know he had hit the pedestrian.
“He had the impression that he only hit the tree branch,” San Jose Police Department spokesperson Stacie Shih said during a briefing Tuesday morning.
According to officers, neither alcohol nor drugs played a role in the collision.
Shih said the driver was not under arrest as of Tuesday and any charges would be determined by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
The victim was the 45th traffic fatality in San Jose and the 18th pedestrian killed on the city’s streets this year.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective DelliCarpini of the department’s Traffic Investigation Unit via email or by calling 408-277-4654.
