Truck Driver Killed in San Jose

A man died Wednesday afternoon in San Jose, becoming the Bay Area's first car-related fatality on July 4, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP Officer DJ Sarabia said the male driver, in his late 20s or early 30s, was spotted weaving on northbound state Route 87 at Taylor Street just before 2 p.m., when his white Nissan truck hit the guardrail and flipped on its roof.

Sarabia said the officer on scene did not know how fast the driver was traveling, or whether drugs or alcohol was involved.

The Santa Clara County Coroner was called to the scene at 2:20 p.m. A team of forensic CHP investigators was also called out to collect evidence, as is standard in fatal accidents.

The Fourth of July holiday is a time when law enforcement throughout the country crack down on drunk drivers. In the Bay Area, the "Avoid the 13" in Santa Clara County is just one of those efforts when police agencies stake out the roads and highways looking to stop and arrest anyone driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The numbers for Wednesday are not in, but on Tuesday, the sheriff's department reported that 11 people were arrested in connection with DUI, compared to 45 during the same time period last year. Statewide, there were 220 DUI arrests since Tuesday, and 40 overall in the Bay Area.

Contact Lisa Fernandez at 408-432-4758 or lisa.fernandez@nbcuni.com.