What started as a shocking, unbelievable scenario—two young children sneaking out to drive their parents’ car—ended in an absolute tragedy on the streets of East Oakland on Thursday morning.
According to local authorities and shocking new details from the scene, a 7-year-old boy and his 4-year-old brother managed to grab the keys to their mother’s white Toyota Camry while their parents were still asleep. The joyride quickly spiraled out of control, resulting in a devastating collision that left an innocent bystander fighting for her life.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. in the Bartlett neighborhood of East Oakland. The young children had managed to drive several blocks from their home before approaching the intersection of 35th Avenue and Mangels Avenue.
According to the Oakland Police Department and preliminary investigations, the 7-year-old was piloting the sedan southbound when he drifted into opposing traffic, clipping a northbound vehicle. The initial collision violently sent the Camry careening out of control.
The vehicle veered directly toward a pedestrian crosswalk where a woman in her 30s was out walking her dog. KRON 4 reporter Dan Kerman reported live from the scene, noting that “a woman walking her dog was in between the car and where it came to rest, and she was struck”. The car then jumped a curb, plowed through a retaining wall, and came to a stop in the front yard of a nearby home.
“I Thought My House Got Hit”
Witnesses in the neighborhood described a chaotic and terrifying scene. One local resident who rushed outside immediately after the impact recalled the sheer volume of the crash, telling reporters, “It was so loud I thought my house got hit”.
The witness added that the impact was so sudden and violent that the victim didn’t even have time to react or cry out. “The only sound that you heard was the crash. You didn’t hear her scream,” he explained, noting that “when she got hit on impact, that was when she lost consciousness”.
Bystanders immediately rushed to the victim’s aid to perform emergency CPR until first responders arrived at the scene. “It’s unfortunate that, you know, us as human beings, you could leave out your house one day and never return,” the neighbor reflected. “All she was doing was walking her dog”.
Current Conditions and Investigation
The woman was rushed to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition. In a small silver lining to the horrific morning, her dog survived the collision and was later recovered unharmed by local authorities.
Both children inside the vehicle were also injured and transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition. Statements from the boys’ family later revealed that the 7-year-old driver suffered a broken leg, while the 4-year-old passenger sustained a concussion.
The Oakland Police Department’s traffic division is keeping the investigation active as they work to determine how the two young boys managed to start, put the vehicle into gear, and operate it for several blocks completely undetected.