LOS GATOS—A 22-year-old man died early Tuesday morning in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 17 in Los Gatos. 

The 2:55 a.m. crash, south of The Cats restaurant, forced the California Highway Patrol to close both southbound lanes for 45 minutes to allow for an investigation, CHP Officer Ross Lee said.

When CHP arrived at the crash site they found two damaged vehicles blocking the southbound lanes. 

Lee said a man was driving a 2017 Mazda Protege 5 when for unknown reasons he veered onto the right shoulder. He then brought his car back across both lanes before overturning. 

After the car stopped the driver removed his seatbelt, Lee said, and was attempting to get out of his car when a 2002 Toyota Prius with a male driver struck the Mazda.

The impact shoved the Mazda back into the southbound lanes, Lee said, blocking the slow lane and partially ejecting the Mazda driver.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department said the Mazda driver died at the scene at 3:12 a.m.

Lee said it did not appear that alcohol or drugs played a role in the incident, which is still under investigation. 

It was unclear if the other driver was hurt.

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Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

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