A Honda sedan driver was pronounced dead at the scene Sunday afternoon after a crash with a Toyota Camry on westbound Highway 24 where it turns into Interstate 980, east of the 27th Street off-ramp in Oakland. The Toyota driver suffered minor injuries and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Crash Snarled Traffic For Hours
The collision shut down three westbound lanes of I-980 for hours, according to the California Highway Patrol, as reported by NBC Bay Area. Because the crash happened on a state freeway connector rather than a city street, the California Highway Patrol's Oakland office holds primary investigative jurisdiction and handles the crash report, per West Oakland Accident Chiropractor.
The station's report does not specify the Honda driver's name or age, nor does it detail the Toyota driver's blood alcohol level. Those details remain part of the ongoing investigation.
What Charges Could Follow
California law addresses DUI causing bodily injury and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Under California Vehicle Code Section 23153, driving under the influence causing bodily injury is a wobbler offense punishable by up to four years in state prison, with sentence enhancements of three to six additional years if a victim suffers great bodily injury, according to Eisner Gorin LLP. Should investigators establish gross negligence, prosecutors could instead pursue felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated under Penal Code Section 191.5(a), which carries a sentence of 4, 6, or 10 years in state prison, per Power Trial Lawyers.
A Familiar Pattern On Oakland Freeways
This is not the first fatal DUI freeway crash Alameda County has dealt with this year. In July, prosecutors filed felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated charges against a Pleasant Hill driver after a fatal DUI crash on westbound Interstate 580 in Oakland, Hoodline's earlier coverage detailed.
The numbers behind those cases are stark. The California Office of Traffic Safety reports 1,355 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in California in 2023, defining the measure as crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of 0.08 or higher. Nationally, alcohol-impaired driving crashes caused 11,904 deaths in 2024, representing 30% of all U.S. traffic deaths, per Fatality Analysis Reporting System data cited by the Ibrahim Law Firm.
Crash Investigation Continues
No cause or blood alcohol finding for Sunday's crash has been released, and the investigation remains open.
