A 29-year old Salinas man died Sunday in Gilroy after he drove his car off the road and collided into a tree. Officers responded at 2:56 a.m. to Murray Avenue and Chestnut Street where they found the driver unresponsive in his 2004 Mercedes. The driver, who had to be extricated from his vehicle, died later at the scene. Police say the man, who was not wearing a seat belt during the time of the collision, hit a turn at a high rate of speed, which caused him to drive off the road onto the sidewalk and into a tree. Investigations continue into whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the fatal collision.
