Oakland hit-and-run leaves unhoused woman dead

OAKLAND, Calif. - A woman who was killed in a hit-and-run in Oakland has been identified.

The victim was 59-year-old Kim May Barranco, according to the Oakland Police Department.

Barranco, who was unhoused and known in the community as "Ladybug," lost her life just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The fatal incident occurred when she was struck by a car between the 2300 and 2400 blocks of San Pablo Avenue.

The intersection, with two lanes in each direction and a wide center median, poses dangers for pedestrians due to its fast-moving traffic. Many pedestrians jaywalk for convenience.

Residents in the neighborhood expressed concerns about the lack of traffic enforcement in the area.

Anthony Butts, a member of the community organization Oakland Living Learning Center, shed light on Barranco's impact on the community despite her unhoused status.

"She was unhoused, but she was so good for our community, everybody loved her, and everybody knew her. Everybody respected her, no matter what was going on in her life," Butts said.

Butts also said that vehicles often exceed the 35 mph speed limit on the boulevard,

"This is like (Interstate) 880. You’ll see cars going 40, 50, 60 70 mph going down the street," he said.

The intersection, adjacent to West Oakland, has markers of unhoused people living along the median, along with signs of illegal dumping, porta potties, and handwashing stations.

"Some people are in such a rush, they don’t even care about pedestrians around here," said Butts.

Barranco was beloved by those in the community who knew her, according to Butts.

A makeshift memorial with a small bouquet of flowers and a women's athletic shoe was placed near the crash site.

"Unfortunately Kim got hit and killed, this is like a daily event, people coming through here reckless driving, like they don’t care," said Butts.

Oakland firefighters responded to the crash, but Barranco was pronounced dead. The involved vehicle fled the scene, heading north on San Pablo Avenue. Butts believes the vehicle was likely traveling above the speed limit.

"When you’re speeding you can’t slow down that quick," he said.

The Oakland Police are currently investigating the case and urge anyone with information or video surveillance footage related to the incident to come forward.

 Serenity House, a nonprofit organization that provides support services to women, has created a GoFundMe to help lay Barranco to rest.

Alice Wertz is a freelance reporter for KTVU Fox 2 News. She can be reached at Alice.Wertz@Fox.com