SAN JOSE — A driver died Tuesday night after his truck hit another vehicle on Interstate 280, careened off the roadway and crashed into a tree, according to authorities.

The crash occurred at about 10:50 p.m., when the male driver of a white pickup truck was traveling in the left lane on northbound 280, just north of 7th Street, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Ross Lee. The driver was reportedly traveling at high speed and, for an unknown reason, swerved to the right and collided with the back of a vehicle in the next lane.

The driver continued across the lanes before leaving the roadway and crashing into a tree on a brushy slope above Margaret Way, police said. The truck then caught on fire.

The driver was pronounced dead by San Jose fire personnel.

Police said they don’t know if alcohol or drugs were a factor.

A female passenger was taken to a hospital, and her current status and injuries are unknown, according to CHP.

Northbound I-280 wasn’t affected by the collision. Authorities shut down Margaret Way during the investigation.

Source: www.mercurynews.com