Mar 11, 2008 12:00 am US/Pacific
Rookie Deputy Identified In Fatal S.Bay Bike Crash
CUPERTINO (CBS 5 / KCBS / AP / BCN) ―
The California Highway Patrol on Monday continued investigating a crash on a winding road in Cupertino that left two bicyclists dead and another seriously injured after they were hit by a rookie deputy's patrol car.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's office on Monday identified the deputy involved as James Council, 27, and said he has been employed by the sheriff's office for about 18 months.
He was placed on paid administrative leave while the CHP investigates the crash, sheriff's Sgt. Don Morrissey said.
Council accidentally crossed over a double yellow center line while headed northbound on Stevens Canyon Road near Montobello Road on Sunday morning and struck the group of bike riders, Morrissey said. Witnesses said they overheard the deputy saying he may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
The deputy immediately began CPR on one of the fallen cyclists, Morrissey said, and called for help following the 10:30 a.m. collision.
Friends of the cyclists identified the two deceased riders as 30-year-old Kristy Gough of Oakland, an Olympic hopeful, and 29-year-old Matt Peterson of San Francisco.
"We just lost a couple of phenomenal human beings. The fact that they were tremendous athletes is really beyond the point as well, although they both were. Christy was on her way to the Olympic trials, and Matt was a phenomenal rider. It's very distressing," said Gebhart Evanhook, who was riding just behind the cyclists who were hit.
The third cyclist, identified as Christopher Knapp, remained at Stanford University Medical Center on Monday in stable condition.
Deputy Council is assigned to the West Valley Patrol Division, officials said. On Sunday he began his shift at 6 a.m., and before the accident was scheduled to work until 6:30 p.m.
Authorities said Council was not responding to a call, or speeding at the time of the crash.
The last fatal crash involving a Santa Clara County sheriff's patrol car occured in 1994, when a deputy who was trying to keep a suspect from running struck and killed the man. That deputy was cleared of any wrongdoing.
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