Hayward motorcyclists killed in crash with Tesla driven by San Jose woman

SARATOGA — A man and woman from Hayward, riding a motorcycle in the Santa Cruz mountains west of Saratoga, were killed Saturday when their Harley Davidson crashed head-on with a Tesla sedan, driven by an 18-year-old woman from San Jose, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The crash occurred about 4:45 p.m. Saturday on winding, mountainous State Route 9, near where it intersects with Skyline Boulevard, also known as State Route 35.

The CHP said in a news release that the 18-year-old was driving north in a white 2018 Tesla Model 3 at “an underdetermined speed” when her car collided with the 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycle, which was going south, also at an undetermined speed.

For reasons that are still under investigation, the two vehicles crashed head-on, according to the CHP, which didn’t specify whether one vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic. The impact ejected the 61-year-old man and 59-year-old woman from their motorcycle.

Even though both were wearing helmets, the couple suffered fatal injuries when they were thrown onto the roadway. Despite life-saving efforts provided by emergency medical responders, they died at the scene. The driver of the Tesla, who was wearing a seatbelt, was not injured.

The CHP said it hasn’t been determined whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, which is still under investigation. The identities of the deceased, which will be released by the Santa Cruz County Coroner’s Office, were not immediately available.

Anyone with information on the crash can call the California Highway Patrol in Santa Cruz at 831-219-0200.