OAKLAND, Calif. - A man died Saturday morning after being struck in a hit-and-run crash near Lake Merritt in Oakland.
The collision happened around 5:50 a.m. at the corner of Lakeside Drive and 17th Street. KTVU anchor Andre Senior was walking his dog in the area when he saw a speeding vehicle barrel into the intersection.
Senior said a man carrying a bag of plastic bottles was stepping through the crosswalk when a white Nissan approached at a high rate of speed, appearing to race another vehicle.
"He’s in the crosswalk, and he’s got his head down," Senior said. "At some point he looks up and realizes he’s not stopping so he starts to run. The car thinks he’s gonna outrun him by going this way, but he doesn’t. Smashes right into him."
The impact threw the victim into the air before the car sped away without slowing down. Senior immediately ran to check on the victim while calling 911.
"If there is a chance he is alive, maybe there is something I could do," Senior said. "Turned the body over, checked his pulse, and he was gone."
Several other bystanders stopped to render aid before the Oakland Police Department arrived on scene.
"We cover these things on a daily basis all the time, but we cover it from a distance," Senior reflected. "It’s very different to see it happen in front of your face."
Speeding continues to pose a persistent hazard along Lakeside Drive. City data through August shows that 11 pedestrians have been killed on Oakland streets this year.
Anyone who was in the area Saturday morning, spotted a white Nissan traveling on Lakeside Drive, or has information regarding the crash is urged to contact the Oakland Police Department.
The Source: Interview with eyewitness, photos/videos from the scene