Gustine, CA (November 17, 2025) — On Monday, November 11, a 43-year-old man from Gustine in Merced County was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on southbound Highway 101 in San Jose, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP officials said the collision was reported at about 8:46 p.m. on southbound Highway 101 near Capitol Expressway. Investigators determined that the man was riding a 2001 Yamaha motorcycle in the southbound lanes when the motorcycle’s rear wheel began to fishtail, causing the bike to overturn for reasons that remain under investigation. After the motorcycle went down, the rider came to rest in the roadway.
A 2018 Kia traveling behind the motorcycle then struck the rider and overturned following the impact, CHP said. In a subsequent chain reaction, the downed motorcycle was pushed into a 2023 Tesla that had stopped at the scene, according to CHP reports. The driver of the Kia sustained minor injuries. No other serious injuries were reported.
The motorcyclist, identified only as a 43-year-old man from Gustine, died at the scene. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The crash closed five of the six southbound lanes of Highway 101 in the area for roughly three hours while officers documented the scene and cleared the vehicles. CHP has asked anyone who witnessed the collision or has additional information to contact the agency’s San Jose-area office.
