A man and woman visiting Berkeley from Barcelona were left with major injuries Wednesday night after a driver struck them in a crosswalk at University Avenue and Eighth Street and sped away, leaving a neighbor to kneel beside them and beg the woman to stay awake until paramedics arrived. The couple, who did not know anyone in Berkeley, were found with their passports scattered on the ground nearby.
Someone called 911 at 8:50 p.m. to report the crash, according to emergency call logs cited by The Berkeley Scanner. Berkeley firefighters arrived to find the man and woman on the ground in the northbound lanes of Eighth Street at University Avenue, where the couple appeared to have been using the crosswalk when they were struck. Initial reports indicated the collision threw the pedestrians 15 to 20 feet across the roadway.
The man was unresponsive and bleeding from the head, while the woman had visible injuries to her arm and leg, the outlet reported. Berkeley Fire Department crews transported both victims to Highland Hospital Code 3, with lights and sirens, a protocol consistent with the hospital's role as Alameda County's designated Level I adult trauma center, where roughly 70% of trauma admissions stem from traffic collisions and falls among seniors, according to Alameda Health System.
A Stranger Steps In To Help
A neighbor who rushed to the scene found the couple's passports on the ground and tried to help until emergency responders arrived, per the same account. A witness said she was trying to talk with her husband, but the man never answered, likely because he was in shock. The neighbor told the woman, “Stay with me, don't close your eyes.”
The couple were visiting from Barcelona and did not know anyone in Berkeley, leaving them far from home during a serious medical emergency.
Fatal Accident Team Called In, Lanes Shut Down
Berkeley police called in the department's Fatal Accident Investigation Team, which handles serious and fatal crashes, the report noted. The unit typically deploys for incidents involving severe or life-threatening injuries, using specialized forensic tools such as 3D laser scene scanning to reconstruct collisions, per GJEL Accident Attorneys.
Police asked motorists to avoid the area due to the collision and ongoing investigation. Eastbound lanes of University Avenue between Seventh and Ninth streets remained closed until further notice, according to the police notice relayed in the same report.
Crosswalk and Hit-and-Run Laws
The driver's decision to flee turns what began as a crosswalk collision into a felony hit-and-run investigation. Under California Vehicle Code Section 20001, a crash causing death or “permanent, serious injury”—defined as the loss or permanent impairment of a bodily member or organ—can carry two to four years in state prison, with a county-jail alternative. California law also requires drivers involved in injury collisions to stop immediately, exchange information, and render reasonable aid.
Separately, California Vehicle Code Section 21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in any marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection and to reduce speed to ensure their safety, per Cron Israels & Stark. The collision occurred on University Avenue, where the couple were crossing at an intersection.
This is not the first time Berkeley's Fatal Accident Investigation Team has responded to a severe crosswalk collision in recent weeks. A UC Berkeley student hit on Telegraph was left critical on September 25, shutting down that street for hours — though in that case, the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police. In April, Berkeley police arrested a 41-year-old driver following a hit-and-run at Adeline and Harmon streets that left a pedestrian with severe injuries.
The Wednesday-night collision left the couple with major injuries, underscoring the physical stakes of pedestrian crashes.
As of the latest report, investigators had not disclosed whether they had obtained surveillance footage, a vehicle description, or a license plate connected to the driver who fled. The updated conditions of the man and woman were also not immediately available.
