A 27-year-old Hayward man in a speeding red car died early Tuesday morning in Oakland after the Chevrolet Impala he was riding in slammed into five other vehicles – including three police cruisers.
Police spokesman Joe Wolfcale said no officers were injured when the accident was reported at 35th and Brookdale avenues just before 1 a.m. The officers were in the neighborhood investigating an unrelated shooting when their cruisers were hit. Police originally said there were two cruisers struck.
The 27-year-old front seat passenger was declared dead at the scene, Wolfcale said, and three other passengers, all in their 20s, were taken to hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, Wolfcale said. He added that both alcohol and speed are believed to be a factor in the collision.
The scene was chaotic before the sun came up on Tuesday. The cruisers were smashed and shattered, parked on the sidewalk. The red car was disabled in the middle of the street; the hood up, the windows cracked, the front tires were askew. The cruisers were towed away in the rain before 6 a.m. And teams of officers walked about, taking notes and collecting evidence.
