An unidentified woman in her mid-40s who was discovered unresponsive and badly burned on a Berkeley sidewalk last Friday has died after being rushed to Highland Hospital. The harrowing find near University Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Way brought firefighters and police racing to the scene.
Crews were dispatched to a reported medical emergency at that intersection at about 5 PM, according to The Berkeley Scanner. When firefighters arrived, they found the woman on the sidewalk. Radio traffic reviewed by the outlet shows she was taken by fire crews to Highland Hospital “Code 3,” with lights and sirens, roughly 10 minutes after they were sent to the call.
Scene and injuries
Initial information described the woman as a “Jane Doe” in her mid-40s. She was said to be fully dressed in clothing that did not appear burned, yet she had extensive burns across her torso and face, along with soot in her nostrils and mouth. “We’re uncertain of the source of the burns,” responders reported over the radio, according to The Berkeley Scanner.
Where she was taken
Fire crews brought the woman to Highland Hospital, the East Bay’s Level 1 trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead, Berkeley police confirmed. Highland is the flagship facility of Alameda Health System and operates as the region’s main adult trauma center, with surgical specialists and trauma resources available around the clock, according to Alameda Health System.
Investigation ongoing
Berkeley police say they are still investigating how the woman came to be so badly injured, and as of the latest updates, they have not said whether they consider her death suspicious. Officials have released only limited information, and investigators have not yet publicly identified the woman.
