The collision happened near Blossom Hill Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard just before 4pm on Saturday, and several others were taken to local hospitals with varying injuries.
Police said the woman was pronounced dead at hospital, while one vehicle caught fire and bystanders helped pull a badly injured man from the burning car.
San Jose police described it as a major-injury crash and urged drivers to use alternate routes around the area as the investigation continued.
Could faster emergency response have saved the victim in the San Jose crash, and what delays contributed to the outcome?
What underlying issues in California's emergency response and traffic safety systems are allowing fatal crashes like this to persist?
How might data from black boxes and distracted driving laws change the way multi-vehicle crashes are investigated and prosecuted?