7 injured in downtown Oakland after car mounts sidewalk following First Friday brawl
OAKLAND, Calif. - Seven people – including one juvenile – were hurt in Downtown Oakland early Saturday morning when a car mounted the sidewalk following a brawl during First Friday celebrations.
Police respond to reports of fight
What we know:
Oakland Police Department officers were sent just after 1:30 a.m. to the area of Telegraph Avenue and 18th Street on reports of a fight involving several people, the department told KTVU. The OPD said police broke up "multiple physical altercations" in the area and were able to disperse the crowd.
The OPD emphasized that the altercations were unrelated to and took place outside of the "permitted event footprint" of the official Oakland First Fridays celebrations, which take place along Telegraph Avenue between 22nd and 27th streets from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
While responding to the scene of the fights, police were notified of a report that a car had driven onto the sidewalk and struck several pedestrians in the 500 block of 18th Street.
Social media video showed a red Hyundai sedan driving recklessly on the sidewalk and crashing between a gate and a light post.
Dig deeper:
Social media video from the scene depicts a large crowd brawling in the street before cutting to what appears to be a red Hyundai sedan driving recklessly on the sidewalk and crashing between a gate and a light post.
The video then shows a female suspect who was behind the wheel of the car exit and run down the street, followed by bystanders.
Authorities found five adults and one juvenile victim injured at the scene, and they were all taken to a hospital where they were listed in stable condition. A seventh victim was privately taken to a hospital, and they were also said to be in stable condition.
The OPD did not specify if the brawl and the vehicle collisions were related.
What's next:
Police said the suspect vehicle was abandoned at the scene, and the driver fled without being arrested. However, the OPD said its following up on several leads and "expects to arrest the driver in the near future.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and anyone with information was asked to contact the OPD Felony Assault Unit at 510-238-3426.
The Source: Oakland Police Department, social media video from scene