The tragedy happened just before 1 p.m. along Paseo Padre Parkway near Chadbourne drive and Dorne Place. Both sides of the parkway remained closed Tuesday evening as police investigated what caused the four-door Honda sedan to crash into a curb then hit a tree.
Witnesses say the car was moving very fast, possibly up to 100 mph, when it appeared to lose control. When it hit the tree, parts of the car went flying. The front bumper landed in the street. Parts of the passenger side landed in the driveway and in the yard of a nearby house. No other vehicles were involved, according to Fremont police, and no one was walking in the path of the car as it crashed.
Three people were inside the vehicle -- a male driver who wasn't wearing a seat belt, identified as Gilbert Gil, a female passenger who was wearing a seat belt, identified as his wife Joie, and a child in a car seat, identified as their son Angelo. The family was reportedly on their way to spend the afternoon at a water park. Angelo was just weeks away from his fourth birthday.
A nearby resident who saw the entire accident happen was the first to respond.
"I ran up to him and I asked him how many people were in the car. He said his wife and his son. I looked around the other part of the car. I didn't know where it was at because it was in a driveway at someone else's house, in front of the tree. And I looked to see if she was OK. She was not unconscious. She was kind of breathing, not really. And I ran to look for his son and his son was dead in his car seat," Kaylee said.
Both the driver and the passengers were taken to a hospital trauma center for their injuries. Gilbert Gil was onterviewed by police Tuesday evening.
