San Francisco

CHP ID's Mercedes Driver Who Veered Off Road, Job Train Worker Killed on Highway 101

The California Highway Patrol said officers are looking into why the driver of a Mercedes-Benz veered off the highway and fatally struck a Job Train-Caltrans worker cleaning up litter on the side of the road.

In a preliminary CHP report, Officer Art Montiel said it is unknown at this time whether "drugs or alcohol were a contributing factor" when Dee Di Benedetto, 38, of San Jose "allowed the Mercedes to veer off the roadway" onto the shoulder of the road on Tuesday, hitting a crew of "Job Train" workers picking up trash.

Di Benedetto's 2012 Mercedes C250 hit an East Palo Alto worker and Mark Santos of San Mateo - both working for Job Train, which contracts with Caltrans to clean highways - seriously injuring the first man and killing Santos alongside U.S. Highway 101 south of Woodside Road.

Her car also plowed through a chain link fence at the Stanford Medical Center parking lot, crashing into four other cars.

Job Train is part of a personal development program helping at-risk youth and adults develop job skills. The organization issued a statement on its website stating its leaders were "shocked and saddened about the tragic accident," adding later that they couldn't say any more because of privacy concerns.

Di Benedetto suffered minor injuries. Attempts to reach her on Wednesday morning were not immediately successful. She has not been arrested.

If there are witnesses to this collision please contact Officer H. Baker at (650) 369-6261.

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