A two-vehicle accident near Blossom Hill Road and Winfield Boulevard in San Jose, California, has resulted in the death of a 21-year-old expectant mother.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, October 24, 2023, at approximately 8:42 p.m. The eastbound 2008 black Nissan sedan in which the deceased was traveling collided with a southbound 2013 white Hyundai sedan. It was later revealed that the white Hyundai sedan had been reported as stolen.
After the collision, the two male occupants of the stolen vehicle fled the scene on foot. Police were not able to apprehend either suspect.
The victim was identified as April Zoglauer, a pre-school teacher from San Jose, California. After the accident, she was rapidly transported to a local hospital due to her life-threatening injuries. Not long after her arrival, she was pronounced dead. However, in a glimmer of hope amidst the sorrow, doctors were able to perform an emergency C-section surgery, successfully delivering her premature baby, who was named Devontae. Sadly, the newborn boy was listed in critical condition and died shortly after birth.
Deadly automobile accidents in this part of California are not isolated. The San Jose Police Department noted that this marks the 42nd fatal collision and the 43rd traffic death for San Jose in 2023 alone. A report by the California Office of Traffic Safety showed a rise in traffic fatalities across the state, with an increase of approximately 7.6% from 3,980 in 2020 to 4,285 in 2021.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg voiced his concerns over the rising trend, stating that the nation continues to face a crisis of transportation deaths on highways.
Through the National Roadway Safety Strategy, the Department of Transportation is actively working to enhance traffic safety nationwide. The ultimate goal is to reach a point where such preventable deaths become a thing of the past.
Anyone with any potential information that could help locate the suspects is urged to contact the San José Police Department’s Traffic Investigations Unit.