SCOTTS VALLEY—A 73-year-old Watsonville woman died in a solo-vehicle crash on Highway 17 early Tuesday. She has been identified as Maria Isabel Reyes, according to Ashley Keehn of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said Reyes was driving a 2003 Acura RSX on northbound Highway 17 south of El Rancho Drive. At around 5:50am, as the Acura approached El Rancho Drive, it veered off the roadway at an undetermined speed, crashed into a metal pole and overturned.
Reyes suffered major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel, despite lifesaving efforts, Murillo said.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the incident.
