Two Men Killed in Wrong-Way Crash on Montague Expressway

What Police-Backed Reporting Says Happened

Santa Clara police responded at about 11:58 a.m. on August 26 to Montague Expressway at the Lafayette Street overpass. Officers found a GMC SUV overturned and engulfed in flames and a damaged Honda pickup.

Investigators said the SUV had been traveling the wrong way on northbound Montague Expressway before colliding with the pickup. Both drivers died at the scene.

The Two Men Were Later Identified

The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office identified the men as 58-year-old Stephen Hinkson of San Carlos and 39-year-old Keith Demarest. Public reporting did not establish which man was driving which vehicle.

Because that driver-to-vehicle identification remains unconfirmed, this article does not assign individual fault to either named man.

Potential Civil Questions After a Wrong-Way Collision

A civil investigation may examine how and where the SUV entered the expressway in the wrong direction, speed, impairment, signage, roadway design, and available video or vehicle data.

A surviving family may have a wrongful death claim if the evidence shows the other driver or another responsible party caused the death through negligence or misconduct.

Evidence That May Matter

Relevant evidence may include the police collision report, toxicology results, vehicle event data, traffic-camera or business video, witness statements, 911 calls, scene photographs, and roadway measurements.

Police said toxicology testing was pending. Witness evidence may be especially important because one motorist reported narrowly avoiding the SUV shortly before the fatal collision.