The California Highway Patrol pursued a vehicle in Oakland that lost control and collided with two pedestrians Wednesday night, killing one and wounding the other.
According to the Oakland Police Department, the collision occurred shortly before 7:45 p.m. near 12th Avenue and East 21st Street in the city’s Clinton neighbourhood. According to police, the CHP notified the department of a pursuit on municipal streets, which ceased shortly thereafter.
Police said the vehicle continued to drive dangerously and lost control, striking a man and a lady strolling on the pavement. A house video camera captured footage of the automobile speeding across the intersection, slamming into a hydrant, a tree, and finally the two pedestrians, who had little chance to avoid the collision.
The motorist fled the crash scene but was apprehended by CHP authorities.
Police officers treated the victims, both in their forties, and medical staff administered life-saving efforts, but the male died on the site. The woman was classified in stable condition, and witnesses later reported her release from the hospital.
Residents said a pair went for an evening walk together.
“Suddenly, I heard an earthquake. “Bam,” said Sarah Polk, who lives in a house in front of the crash site and has a security camera that captured the impact. The woman climbed the stairs to Polk’s residence, seeking assistance.
“She said, could you please call quick 911,” according to Polk.
James Polk stated that he installed the camera on his front porch just days ago. He is one of the residents concerned about high-speed pursuits.
“I just asked one officer, ‘Is this a high-speed chase?'” They looked at me and said, “Absolutely not; this wasn’t a high-speed chase.”
The suspect, 18-year-old Eric Scott Hernandez-Garcia of Oakland, was identified by the California Highway Patrol in an email to CBS News Bay Area Thursday evening. CHP officers were patrolling in Oakland when they came across a vehicle wanted in connection with a felony evasion incident involving the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, the CHP stated.
The authorities tried an enforcement stop on the vehicle in a parking lot near 102nd Avenue and International Boulevard, but the driver accelerated away. The CHP reported that its officers terminated the ground pursuit in 37 seconds, while its aircraft remained to watch the car.
After driving for about 15 minutes on the freeway and city streets, the suspect pulled over on 5th Avenue near E. 19th Street and began exiting the vehicle as authorities approached, according to the CHP. However, the driver re-entered the vehicle and escaped again, with patrol officers following, according to the agency.
The vehicle collided with a minivan at Park Boulevard and 21st Street, and authorities called off the pursuit again within 30 seconds, according to the CHP. About 20 seconds later, the vehicle collided with the two people. The minivan’s occupants suffered minor injuries.
The fatal collision occurs as the Police Department Oakland’s head begs for increased ability to pursue dangerous individuals. Currently, the regulation compels officers to cease a chase if speeds exceed 50 mph, unless a commander approves.
In December, Governor Gavin Newsom stated that the present approach does not make sense.
“You can be drunk, you can run a red light, you can come close to sideswiping a school bus in the morning commute hours in front of cops, and Oakland’s pursuit policy says the cops can’t chase them,” said Newsom at the time.
However, critics of vehicle pursuits say policy improvements are going in the wrong direction.
“It’s not like one car stops and someone gets out and says, ‘Oh, I give up, thanks for chasing me.’ Either way, there will be a crash. Is it inside a building? Is it into other automobiles, or does it frequently target people?”
Reference: Car crashes into Oakland pedestrians after CHP chase; 1 dead, 1 injured