OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — A teenaged driver barreled his car into a crowd in East Oakland Saturday night, killing three people on a sidewalk and injuring five, police officials said.
The driver, a 17-year-old Oakland boy, attempted to flee the scene by running down International Boulevard, Police Chief James Beere said. His escape attempt was thwarted by good Samaritans who jumped into action and detained the teen until police officers arrived, according to officials.
At a news conference held Monday afternoon, the police chief said he wanted to thank community members who “stepped up” and prevented the driver from getting away.
Beere said the car was moving at an “extremely high rate of speed” on 85th Avenue when it made a reckless left turn onto International Boulevard, collided into parked cars, accelerated over a sidewalk, and ran over several pedestrians.
One of the victims who died was identified by friends as Robert “Frog” Dixon. Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. posted a video on Instagram about his friendship with “Frog,” and wrote, “Woke up thinking maybe it was just a bad dream. May your name live forever. The last of the Townasaurs.”
Candles and flowers are left at a makeshift memorial in East Oakland.
A surveillance camera recorded the suspect’s car zooming on the sidewalk as a woman jumps to narrowly escape being struck. The suspect’s car ripped a door off the woman’s car.
In addition to detaining the driver, good Samaritans performed CPR on victims, a witness told KRON4. When Oakland Police Department officers arrived on scene, they arrested the teen and took him to a hospital.
Mayor Barbara Lee also voiced her appreciation to the good Samaritans, adding, “The courage displayed shows a growing trust between our neighbors, City Hall, and the Oakland Police Department.”
Lee described the triple fatal incident as a “devasting scene.” One victim remained in critical condition as of Monday afternoon, according to police.
Beere said his investigators are still working to determine if the crash was intentional or accidental. “But I can tell you, it was reckless driving,” he said. A toxicology test will later determine if alcohol or drugs were a factor.
An official with the city’s Department of Violence Prevention said DVP is deploying “violence interrupters” to prevent retaliation for the tragedy.
The 17-year-old boy is facing potential vehicular manslaughter charges.
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