A family drive home from a birthday celebration ended in tragedy Saturday night when a 49-year-old East Bay father of nine was killed in an apparent road rage confrontation in Castro Valley, authorities and relatives said.

The victim, identified by family as Jason Elola, was returning home from San Francisco with his wife, Gabrielle Elola, and two young daughters – 5 months old and 5 years old – after celebrating his son’s 18th birthday.

They had decided to stop for ice cream when a dark-colored SUV struck their car near Wilbeam and Norbridge avenues, according to relatives in a GoFundMe post.

Authorities said a fight broke out between Elola and 37-year-old Martin W. Davis Jr. after the collision around 7:40 p.m. Deputies and California Highway Patrol officers responding to the scene found Elola injured. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

A father of nine, identified by family as Jason Elola, was killed in an East Bay road rage confrontation after a family night out in San Francisco. (GoFundMe/Support Jason Elola's Family in Their Time of Need)

A father of nine, identified by family as Jason Elola, was killed in an East Bay road rage confrontation after a family night out in San Francisco. (GoFundMe/Support Jason Elola’s Family in Their Time of Need)

Davis initially left but called the CHP’s non-emergency line to report his involvement and was instructed to return to the scene of the incident, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder and remained in custody at Santa Rita Jail without bail as of Wednesday, according to jail records.

Anyone who has information about the incident, or may have seen it or recorded any part of it on a cellphone or dashcam, is urged to contact Detective Hammad at 510-459-8095 or the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 510-667-3622.

A verified GoFundMe page was launched to help support the family with funeral expenses and living costs.

Family members described Elola as a devoted father of nine and a pillar in their community.

“Gabrielle and the children are facing the difficult reality of moving forward without him,” the fundraiser states. “The sudden loss has left them with the overwhelming burden of funeral expenses and the challenge of covering daily living costs in the months ahead. Jason was everything to everyone, and his absence is deeply felt by all who knew him.”

This article originally published at East Bay father of 9 killed in road rage incident after night out in San Francisco.