A late-night outing in East Oakland turned tragic yesterday, when a vehicle slammed into multiple cars and pedestrians, killing three people and injuring several others shortly after 11 PM. Emergency crews pronounced three victims dead at the scene and treated or transported additional patients to nearby hospitals. Officials said the driver, who also suffered minor injuries, remained at the scene as investigators worked to piece together what went wrong.
The crash unfolded just before 11:15 PM near 85th Avenue and International Boulevard, a busy commercial stretch in East Oakland that was quickly turned into a crime scene. Police and fire crews shut down the area overnight while investigators documented the wreckage and interviewed witnesses, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
According to the Oakland Fire Department, three people were pronounced dead at the scene, and five others were injured, including two who were listed in critical condition. The driver sustained only minor injuries, and authorities did not immediately release that person’s identity. The collision remains under investigation, the Associated Press reported.
Witness accounts
One witness described the chaos starting with a crash between two vehicles outside the East Bay Market Liquor Store, followed by an SUV suddenly jumping the curb and barreling onto the sidewalk into a crowd of people. "I ran over there, but I couldn't do nothing for nobody," Cornelius Reed told KTVU FOX 2, recalling the scene as he tried unsuccessfully to help the victims.
Local context
The deadly crash comes on the heels of another serious incident on May 2 in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood, where a driver struck seven people, reigniting worries about pedestrian safety in the city. Before Saturday’s collision, the city’s traffic fatality dashboard had already recorded six traffic deaths from January through April, including three pedestrians, figures that have fueled renewed calls for safer streets, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Oakland police say the investigation into Saturday’s crash is ongoing and are asking anyone who may have seen what happened or has additional information to contact authorities. As of early Sunday, officials had not released the victims’ names or announced any potential charges, according to the Associated Press. This story will be updated as more details become available.
