Sep 5, 2008

Head-on collision kills woman, 95

Crash closes Page Mill Road for two hours

By Will Oremus / Daily News Staff Writer

An elderly woman was killed Thursday in a head-on collision while trying to make a left turn, Palo Alto police said.

The accident at Page Mill Road and Foothill Expressway happened at about 2:50 p.m., said Agent Dan Ryan. Page Mill was shut down in all directions until 5:15 p.m., causing major traffic jams.

The crash came as a 95-year-old woman turned her Toyota Camry left off eastbound Page Mill onto Foothill. She was struck by a Honda Accord coming the opposite direction on Page Mill. It was not immediately clear who was at fault.

The woman, a San Carlos resident whose identity had not been confirmed Thursday evening, was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived on the scene, Ryan said. They performed CPR, but she died minutes later.

It appeared the crash had caused the heart failure, Ryan said, though the official cause of death is not yet known.

The driver of the Accord suffered bumps and bruises. She was taken to Stanford Hospital for treatment and released.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts, and there were no passengers in either vehicle.

One of the drivers must have run a red light, Ryan said, because the left turn arrow on eastbound Page Mill would be green only if the westbound light was red.

Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to call the Palo Alto Police Department traffic sergeant's line at 650- 329-2683 and leave a message.

E-mail Will Oremus at woremus@dailynewsgroup.com.