A 41-year-old Palo Alto man who was jogging was struck and killed Saturday morning by a Chevy Tahoe SUV at the intersection of Sand Hill Road and Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park, police report.
The man was identified as Amit Goutam Bagchi by the San Mateo County Coroner's Office.
The Menlo Park Police Department, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District and San Mateo County Sheriff's Office responded to the accident at about 6:45 a.m., about half an hour before sunrise.
Paramedics provided medical aid to Mr. Bagchi, who was found lying just east of the intersection, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The identity of the driver is not being released since this is an ongoing investigation, police said. The vehicle, a 1998 green Chevy Tahoe, was traveling east on Sand Hill Road, police said.
Sand Hill Road between Santa Cruz Avenue and Oak Avenue was closed for several hours while police investigated the accident. It reopened to traffic at 2 p.m.
Menlo Park police with the assistance of the South San Mateo County Accident Investigation Team is conducting the investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
Witnesses or others with information about this accident, including anyone who took photos or videos of the scene, are asked to call Corporal Nicholas Douglas at 650-330-6300 or the Menlo Park police anonymous tip line at 650-330-6395.
Comments
Menlo Park: Downtown
on Dec 19, 2015 at 10:34 am
on Dec 19, 2015 at 10:34 am
Any idea on what was involved in the crash? 2 cars? Solo car? Car vs pedestrian or bicyclist? RIP to the victims.
Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Dec 19, 2015 at 2:01 pm
on Dec 19, 2015 at 2:01 pm
Read this SJMercury article
"Menlo Park emergency response times slow amid traffic gridlock"
Web Link
Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Dec 19, 2015 at 2:03 pm
on Dec 19, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Oops! That was a SFChronicle article.
Atherton: West Atherton
on Dec 19, 2015 at 3:41 pm
on Dec 19, 2015 at 3:41 pm
This is heart breaking. I do not understand why the police departments in the area didn't put out an alert for people with families in the area. Anyone with an emergency going to Stanford Hospital couldn't get through. Plus it probably would have been easier on the officers at the accident to have less congestion. Atherton has an alert system that they didn't use.
It also took them days to get out an alert that there was a coyote in the area. I hope no one lost a loving pet in the days they knew that people were not informed.
Menlo Park: Downtown
on Dec 19, 2015 at 3:50 pm
on Dec 19, 2015 at 3:50 pm
@Why weren't we informed - I received an email alert from the Menlo Park Police (@Nixle) at 8am this morning. They also sent follow-up emails at 10am and 2pm. If you are concerned about traffic emergencies, you would be wise to sign up for the email alert lists for local police and sheriff agencies along roads you use frequently.
Here is the 8am alert: Web Link
You can also sign up for alerts via text message.
Registered user
another community
on Dec 19, 2015 at 6:42 pm
Registered user
on Dec 19, 2015 at 6:42 pm
Whatever - I am puzzled why you posted that article now, for a Sat am accident? I sure hope that there wasn't any traffic that time of day!
What a horrible tragedy. I am so sorry about this pedestrian death.
Atherton: other
on Dec 19, 2015 at 9:38 pm
on Dec 19, 2015 at 9:38 pm
This mornings accident was sad, I stood over the mans body and prayed for him. I also pray for this mans family and my condolences go out to his family
Menlo Park: other
on Dec 20, 2015 at 9:28 pm
on Dec 20, 2015 at 9:28 pm
The related article (Web Link Schapelhouman speaks for all firefighters. They believe that the addition of bike lanes will narrow the space for vehicles and further back up traffic.
Removing on-street parking to stripe for bike lanes will actually increase the space for vehicles to get out of the way of emergency vehicles. Schapelhouman should take a field trip to San Francisco. Emergency vehicles are able to get all around the city, even during the worst gridlock, because cars can ditch into the bike lanes when emergency vehicles are coming. If Schapelhouman has an authentic concern for emergency response times, he should be advocating for BRT lanes on El Camino.
Menlo Park: The Willows
on Dec 20, 2015 at 10:44 pm
on Dec 20, 2015 at 10:44 pm
authentic,
I would give more reliability to Schapelhouman who has a great deal of experience and has been a very good Fire Chief for Menlo Park over someone who has an opinion but seems to have no experience to back that up. I hope you are not the cyclist hit by a car and needing immediate medical care when the fire truck is stuck in traffic.
Menlo Park: other
on Dec 20, 2015 at 11:51 pm
on Dec 20, 2015 at 11:51 pm
Brian,
Sorry, the chief has no experience in traffic management. Schapelhouman claims that vehicles can pass through parked cars, but green paint on road is somehow an impenetrable barrier. Regardless, the chief is absolutely correct regarding the physical obstructions along Willow Road, they should be removed and replaced with bike lanes.
Menlo Park: Downtown
on Dec 21, 2015 at 9:39 am
on Dec 21, 2015 at 9:39 am
Sounds like the pedestrian was crossing Sand Hill in the crosswalk and the car came up from behind him and made a right turn into him. This is a very tragic and needless killing. The redesign of this intersection a few years ago increased car speeds and made pedestrians less visible.
Registered user
Menlo Park: Downtown
on Dec 21, 2015 at 2:32 pm
Registered user
on Dec 21, 2015 at 2:32 pm
What does that article have to do with this accident. The article, although appears in December was talking about an accident which occurred in September!! RTFP
Registered user
Woodside: other
on Dec 21, 2015 at 4:41 pm
Registered user
on Dec 21, 2015 at 4:41 pm
authentic -
Chief Schapelhouman has spent more than three decades in the front of fire trucks trying their best to navigate traffic to get to emergencies. I think the Chief is a pretty good observer of driver behavior and how well (or not) they move out of the way of a fire truck.
Registered user
Menlo Park: The Willows
on Dec 21, 2015 at 6:21 pm
Registered user
on Dec 21, 2015 at 6:21 pm
authentic,
I certainly put more credence in the Fire Chief's opinion and experience than someone posting anonymously on a topic and not providing any thing to make their comments credible. I don't think bike lanes on El Camino make sense and will probably lead to more accidents.