Man Killed in Car Crash Known for 'Infectious Smile' at Walnut Creek Farmers' Market

By Bay City News Service

A man who was killed in a crash on state Highway 17 near Santa Cruz early Monday morning has been identified as 21-year-old Ulisses Fonseca, of Concord.

As news of the young man's death spread today, his co-workers at the Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Market in Walnut Creek took to the Internet to express their condolences.

In a message posted on the market's Facebook page today, one co-worker described Fonseca as a "fast learner, hard worker (who) never said no to a challenge." "Everyone at the markets knew this young man, maybe not by name, but certainly by his infectious smile and gentle demeanor," the post read.

Fonseca was driving south on Highway 17 near Pasatiempo Drive shortly after 4:30 a.m. when his 1998 Honda Civic went off of the rain-slicked roadway and crashed into a tree, California Highway Patrol Officer Brad Sadek said.
 
Fonseca, who was alone in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sadek said the car's speed and the wetness of the roadway may have contributed to the crash. He said it does not appear that alcohol or drugs played a role.