BERKELEY — The California Highway Patrol was investigating a collision last week after a Berkeley police officer in a patrol vehicle struck a pedestrian, sending her to a hospital.
In a statement, police said an officer on patrol reported striking the pedestrian at 4:26 p.m. at Sacramento Street and Allston Way. Police responded by asking CHP officers to investigate the incident.
CHP Oakland bureau Officer David Arias said its officers received the investigation request at 4:38 p.m.. He said they learned that the Berkeley officer’s vehicle was stopped westbound at a red light at Allston. When that light turned green, the officer turned left onto Sacramento and struck the woman walking in the crosswalk at “approximately 10 mph,” according to an officer’s statement.
In a statement shared Wednesday, Alameda County licensed EMT Angelina Gabrielli, who was off-duty and nearby at the time of the accident, said she saw the police vehicle enter the intersection and, soon after, saw the woman lying in a traffic lane with no one providing medical assistance.
The rescue worker said she grabbed a medical kit and approached the officers, identifying herself as an EMT and helping the woman.
Gabrielli said in her statement that the officers on the scene did not appear to be helping the victim when she arrived. She added that one officer interfered with her as she attempted to help the victim and said she intended to share her experience with the city’s department of police accountability.
Arias said the woman was not visibly injured, but was taken to a hospital after a complaint of pain. Neither alcohol nor drugs were collision factors, he said. Gabrielli said in her statement that the victim’s leg pain may have indicated a fracture, but that could not immediately be verified.
“While I cannot speak on behalf of CHP’s investigation, I can say that the collision occurred during non-emergency driving conditions, and we regret that the collision happened — resulting in a person being injured,” Berkeley police Officer Byron White said in part Monday. “We very much hope that the person who was injured will have a quick recovery and apologize for the traumatic experience this collision caused.”
News outlet Berkeleyside said the woman, a 54-year-old city resident and school district employee, had been walking to a nearby post office when she was struck.
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.