A late-night walk in Uptown Oakland turned into a scene of chaos early yesterday when a car jumped the curb and slammed into pedestrians on a sidewalk, sending seven people to hospitals and triggering an attempted murder investigation, according to police.
The collision happened around 1:37 a.m. in the 500 block of 18th Street, just west of Telegraph Avenue, where officers say a red Hyundai sedan deliberately drove onto the sidewalk and hit a group of people. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, treated the wounded on the pavement and moved six of them by ambulance to nearby hospitals. A seventh victim got to a hospital by other means. Investigators are treating the crash as an intentional act.
Oakland police told The Mercury News that the victims include three women, ages 18 and 19, three men, ages 21, 22 and 23, and a 15-year-old girl. Two of the seven suffered severe leg injuries, authorities said. Police said two people in the red Hyundai ran off on foot, leaving the car behind at the scene.
Victims and scene
Police say most of the injured had spent the evening at First Friday events in Uptown and that many of them knew one another. The block quickly filled with bystanders and medics working side by side to help the wounded until more ambulances and officers arrived.
Witnesses who stuck around gave initial statements to investigators trying to sort out what led up to the car leaving the roadway and hitting people on the sidewalk. The city has not released the victims' names or any further medical updates.
Investigation underway
Detectives are now combing through evidence, including nearby security footage, to figure out exactly how and why the car ended up on the sidewalk. Oakland police say they have not identified a motive and have not announced any arrests.
Investigators are urging anyone who knows something to speak up and contact the department. As reported by The Mercury News, people with information are asked to call 510-238-3426.
What witnesses can do
Police are especially interested in hearing from anyone who was in Uptown for First Friday or in the early morning hours and saw the crash, the red Hyundai or its two occupants running away.
Anyone with details or video from the area is asked to contact Oakland police at the tip line authorities listed: 510-238-3426.
