October 28, 2004

Freak accident claims New Almaden brothers

By Jeanne C. Lewis
Staff Writer

No one is sure what went wrong, but the result was fatal.

This past Monday night at 10:45 p.m., Andrew and John Mark Teel lost their lives in a freak accident. The brothers were driving south on Almaden Road past Rome Drive, a street they had traveled many times before growing up in New Almaden.

Twenty-one year old John Mark Teel lost control of his 1989 Ford Ranger when the vehicle traveled off the right shoulder of the roadway striking the edge of a concrete driveway, colliding with a mailbox and a telephone pole causing the truck to overturn completely, then crashing with another mailbox and a wood fence where a tree ended the propulsion. Both were wearing seatbelts. John Mark was pronounced dead at the scene when safety personnel arrived.

The passenger, 19-year-old Andrew Teel, was removed from the right front seat and transported to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Ron and Claire Teel were notified of the deaths when the Santa Clara County coroner investigator arrived at their home in New Almaden. The brothers are also survived by siblings Matthew, 27, and Paul, 15, a student at Leland High School. Both John Mark and Andrew graduated from Leland.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jed Hudson responded to the scene.

“There appears to be no indication of foul play or any other vehicle involved, “Officer Hudson said in a phone interview. “It does not appear that alcohol played a role in the collision. There are no new developments at this time. The investigation should be closed in a week or so.”

Tire friction marks and spray paint mark Almaden Road where the incident occurred. Debris from the accident is scattered below the solitary pine tree which ended the truck’s momentum. One lone bouquet marks the spot where the two young lives were lost.

California Highway Patrol asks anyone with information about the accident to call CHP traffic investigator Jed Hudson at (408) 467-5400.