Man Named Who Was Crushed Between Cars, Killed

A man who died after being crushed between two parked cars in a crash caused by a driver fleeing from authorities on Thursday has been identified by the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office as 59-year-old John Fernando Melo.

Melo, a San Jose resident, was taken to Regional Medical Center of San Jose after the crash, and died the next morning.

The crash happened after the California Highway Patrol stopped a burgundy 1999 Volkswagen Passat that was missing its license plates near North 33rd Street and McKee Road shortly before 9:30 p.m., CHP Lt. Les Bishop said.

An officer approached the car, noticed an open container of alcohol and asked the driver to step outside, Bishop said.

That is when the driver, later identified as Dario Dwayne Taylor, 23, of Pittsburg, fled.

The driver was fleeing south on North 33rd Street when he lost control of the Passat and struck a parked Honda CR-V between Alum Rock and Shortridge avenues, Officer Jose Garcia said.

The Honda was pushed forward and into the Volkswagen Golf parked in front of it, pinning Melo between the cars.

A 31-year-old San Jose woman standing on the sidewalk with her 11-year-old son was also struck by the cars, and suffered moderate injuries. The boy was not hurt, Garcia said.

The Passat struck two more parked cars and a northbound 2008 Chrysler 300 before bursting into flames and coming to rest. The CHP officer who had attempted to stop the car moments earlier pulled Taylor from the burning car.

He was checked for injuries at Regional Medical Center before being arrested by the CHP, Garcia said.

Taylor was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on charges of driving under the influence, manslaughter, felony evasion, and being in possession of a stolen vehicle, Bishop said.

Taylor is scheduled to be arraigned in Santa Clara County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.