San Jose Police: Driver Ran Red Light, Causing Crash, Tried to Flee

SJPD confirms officers found drugs inside the vehicle of a driver accused of hit-and-run

San Jose police say a driver ran a red light Thursday morning, causing a brutal crash, and then tried to flee on foot.

The crash happened at the intersection of Cottle Road and Hospital Parkway, near Kaiser Permanente.

Police say a black Mitsubishi sedan was heading south on Cottle at about 7:30 a.m. when the 36-year-old driver ran a red light at Palmia Drive. He collided with a blue Mustang, sending that vehicle into a third car.

The driver of the Mitsubishi was injured, but not badly enough to prevent him from making a run for it. First he ran down Cottle, police said, and then he turned the corner on Santa Teresa.

Police said the man had a two- or three-block head start on responding officers, who eventually caught up with the man on a sidewalk and took him into custody.

San Jose police on the scene said they could understand why the driver tried to get away: They say investigators found “evidence of criminal activity” inside the Mitsubishi. Police confirmed drugs were found but wouldn’t say what kind.

Police had to wait for the Mitsubishi driver to be released from the hospital before they arrested him on hit-and-run charges.

The driver of the Mustang was also hospitalized. Both are expected to survive. The driver of the third vehicle was not injured.

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