Driver of box truck says he fell asleep, passenger dies on US 101 in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - A passenger in a box truck died early Wednesday morning on a San Jose highway after the driver of the truck told the California Highway Patrol that he fell asleep at the wheel. 

The driver of the truck also told the CHP that the passenger was sleeping at the time and was not wearing a safety belt, according to Officer Daniel Hill. Hill said the driver sustained major injuries and was taken to the hospital, but he is expected to survive.

Hill compared sleepy drivers to drunk drivers and said that if people are tired, they should pull over. Coffee, he said, isn't enough to keep you safe and awake on the road. 

The Culver-City company, Security Industry Specialists, Inc. said the employees work for them, but they didn't want to say more. 

The deadly accident was reported just before 4 a.m. on northbound US 101 at McKee Road. A small fire was reported as well. 

The CHP advised that drivers take northbound Interstate Highway 280 to northbound 87 back to northbound 101.

 The CHP originally reported that the vehicle involved was a garbage truck.