On Sunday, August 16, 2026, at about 11:49 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call reporting a major injury collision that had just occurred on Oregon Expressway in the underpass of Alma Street. Officers responded immediately and located a man in his fifties unconscious in a sedan. The man was extricated from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The preliminary investigation revealed that the sedan was traveling westbound on Oregon Expressway and, according to witnesses, the vehicle collided with the walls of the underpass as it was travelling through it. Personnel from the Police Department’s Specialized Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) team responded to the scene to continue the investigation. At this time, it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were a factor, and the cause of the collision remains under investigation. Police do not believe any other vehicle was involved. The roadway was closed for about 6 hours so officers could safely investigate the collision.
Police are not releasing the victim’s identity; that information can be obtained from the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be sent via text message by texting the keyword PAPD and the tip to 847411, or submitted using the "Palo Alto PD Tips" app, which is available via the App Store or Google Play.
To read this release on the city's website, click here: https://www.paloalto.gov/News-Articles/Police-Department/Police-Investigate-Solo-Fatal-Vehicle-Collision
