Highway 101 crash in Paso Robles kills Atascadero man

A fatal crash in Paso Robles claimed the life of one person late Friday night, according to authorities.

At 11:05 p.m., Jose Toral, 35, of Atascadero was traveling northbound in a Ford Explorer in the No. 1 lane on Highway 101 north of Main Street at an unknown rate of speed. He collided with the rear of a Honda CRV, driven at 60 mph in the No. 2 lane by John Hutchings, 59, of Paso Robles.

The collision propelled the CRV into the center divider and the Explorer continued off the road, hitting a sign, a tree and fence, before landing on its roof on the frontage road.

According to the CHP, Toral suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash, while Hutchings suffered minor injuries.

Alcohol has not been ruled out as a contributing factor, the CHP said.

This story was originally published December 14, 2019 at 1:46 PM.