A late-night drive down an East Oakland, California street turned catastrophic over the weekend when a teenage motorist, allegedly speeding, slammed into a parked car and barreled through a group of pedestrians, killing three people and injuring five others, authorities said.
The carnage unfolded around 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2026, near the intersection of International Boulevard and 85th Avenue, a busy stretch of the city’s east side. Oakland police say the juvenile driver was traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on 85th Avenue when the vehicle made a westbound turn onto International Boulevard, striking a parked car and then several people on the sidewalk.
Three pedestrians were pronounced dead at the scene. Five others were rushed to area hospitals with injuries ranging from critical to stable, according to the Oakland Police Department and Oakland Fire Department. Two victims remained in critical condition as of Sunday.
The driver, whose identity has not been released because of their age, was also taken to a hospital. Officials described the teen’s injuries as minor. The juvenile was arrested in connection with the incident, police said.
Witnesses Describe a Scene of Horror
Bystanders said the crash happened in a flash — too quickly for anyone to pull a stranger out of the way. One witness recounted watching the car accelerate after the initial impact and tear down the sidewalk, mowing down people as it went.
“He hit this blue car right here, and I guess he hit the gas and went even faster and went down the whole sidewalk and just sideswiped all those people. And he took off running…I saw him hit this car. I seen him coming, but there was nothing I could do. He was going too fast,” the witness told reporters at the scene.
Michael Turner, who was nearby, said the first warning was the high-pitched scream of rubber on asphalt. He recalled hearing tires screeching followed by a loud bang that echoed down the block.
Another resident, Cornelius Reed, said he sprinted toward the wreckage hoping to help. What he found stopped him cold. Reed told KTVU he saw victims with limbs twisted at impossible angles and described the aftermath as one of the most gruesome things he had ever encountered on the streets of his neighborhood.
Audio of first responders arriving on the scene captured the scale of the emergency in real time, with officials calling for additional ambulances as they assessed multiple critically injured victims scattered along the sidewalk.
Driver Fled Before Being Caught
Witnesses said the teen behind the wheel did not stay to face what had happened. Instead, after the vehicle came to rest, the driver climbed out and bolted from the scene on foot. Officers ultimately tracked the juvenile down and placed the teen under arrest.
Investigators have not said what may have triggered the deadly burst of speed. Police acknowledged Sunday that it was “unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in this collision,” and detectives are working to determine whether either contributed to the crash. The case remains under active investigation, and police have not released the names of those killed.
International Boulevard, the corridor where the crash occurred, has long been a focal point in Oakland’s debates over street safety. The thoroughfare cuts through some of the city’s most densely populated neighborhoods and has been the site of repeated high-speed incidents in recent years. Saturday’s wreck adds another grim chapter for a stretch of road residents say has become increasingly dangerous after dark.
City Leaders Express Grief
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao issued a statement Sunday, May 18, mourning those killed and thanking the emergency crews who responded. “Oakland is mourning the lives lost in last night’s tragic crash at International Boulevard and 85th Avenue in East Oakland. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, loved ones, and all of those impacted,” Thao said.
The mayor also offered thanks to the Oakland Police Department, the Oakland Fire Department and the first responders who arrived within minutes to treat the wounded and secure the scene.
By Sunday morning, debris from the crash — shattered glass, twisted bumpers, scattered personal belongings — still littered the sidewalk outside a business on International Boulevard, a visible reminder of how quickly a routine Saturday night turned into a mass-casualty tragedy.
Police have asked anyone with information or video footage of the crash to come forward as detectives piece together the moments before the vehicle veered off the roadway. The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of their families.
For now, the questions stacking up around the case — how fast was the car going, why did the teenager have the keys, and what, if anything, could have stopped this — are likely to linger as Oakland buries three of its own.