CHP releases name of person killed in fiery Highway 101 crash in Atascadero
A 20-year-old man was killed in a car crash on Highway 101 in Atascadero on Sunday afternoon.
The California Highway Patrol said four 20-year-olds were driving in a car on Highway 101 going northbound near Del Rio Road when the driver of the car, Grant Cosko of Burlingame, suddenly swerved toward the right shoulder.
Cosko turned the steering wheel abruptly to the left, trying to re-enter traffic, but the vehicle traveled off the roadway and overturned onto the embankment, according to a CHP news release.
The car rolled several times and came to a rest upside down on its roof, the CHP said.
According to the release, several people attempted to assist the driver and the three passengers out of the vehicle before the car caught fire.
Cosko and two of the other passengers — Adam Joss of Menlo Park, and Carter Norton of Redwood City — all sustained minor to moderate injuries, according to the release.
Kyle Leventhal of San Mateo was in the right front passenger seat and sustained fatal injuries as a result of the vehicle collision, the CHP said.
CHP said drugs and alcohol do not appear to have played a factor in the collision, though the investigation is still ongoing.
The crash sparked a minor vegetation fire in the area and prompted a road closure on Highway 101 for some time afterward.
The fire burned approximately a half acre and was contained in about 10 minutes, according to Atascadero Fire Battalion Chief Bill White. Crews spent an additional 20 minutes mopping up the area.
The vehicle fire took a little more time to extinguish, according to White.
This story was originally published July 5, 2020 at 7:42 PM.
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