Ashby Avenue and Regent Street: Pedestrian Killed by a Driver Who Fled
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA (November 3, 2026): A 64-year-old woman walking in the Elmwood District died after a Berkeley hit-and-run at Ashby Avenue and Regent Street at about 6:38 p.m. Tuesday, November 3, 2026, according to the Berkeley Police Department, as reported by KRON4 and Berkeleyside. Police said a westbound silver Kia Soul struck her on Ashby Avenue and the driver left the scene.
Officers found the woman with serious injuries. Although the crash happened just outside Alta Bates hospital, the Berkeley Fire Department took her to Highland Hospital in Oakland, a trauma center, where she died, police spokesperson Officer Byron White told Berkeleyside.
A witness gave officers the Kia’s license plate number after spotting it a few blocks away, police said. The department’s license plate reader network detected the car entering Interstate 80 from Gilman Street at 9:02 p.m., and officers stopped it just past the split of Interstates 80 and 580. The driver, a 66-year-old Oakland man, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run causing death, and was booked into Santa Rita Jail, according to police. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office had not filed charges as of Wednesday morning, and an arraignment was scheduled for Friday, November 6, Berkeleyside reported, citing jail and court records. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau has not released the woman’s name.
Police have not said whether the woman was in a crosswalk, how fast the car was traveling or what evidence supports the impairment allegation. These are early accounts from an open investigation. Fault is determined by investigators and, in civil cases, by the courts, and initial findings sometimes change.
Liability for a Berkeley Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Crash
California Vehicle Code § 20001 requires a driver involved in a crash that injures or kills someone to stop immediately at the scene and meet the duties that follow in the code. Vehicle Code § 23153 makes it unlawful to drive under the influence and, while doing so, cause bodily injury to another person through an unlawful act or the neglect of a duty. Vehicle Code § 21950 generally requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks at intersections and to use due care for the safety of pedestrians.
- Duty to stop: Police said the driver left the scene after the crash. Section 20001 generally requires a driver to stop when a crash injures or kills someone, regardless of who caused it.
- Suspected impairment: The driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI. In a civil case, a finding of impairment can be important evidence of negligence under Civil Code § 1714.
- Pedestrian safety: Ashby Avenue at Regent Street is an intersection. Whether the woman was in a crosswalk has not been released, but Section 21950 also requires drivers to use due care for pedestrians.
- Family claims: Under Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60, a surviving spouse, domestic partner, children and certain other relatives may generally bring a wrongful death claim. The insurance on the vehicle, and the family’s own policies, can matter.
A criminal case and a civil claim are separate, and a civil case uses a different standard of proof.
Steps to Take After a Berkeley Hit-and-Run
A witness’s license plate number led police to the driver in this case, which shows how much quick, accurate information matters. If you or a family member was hurt in a hit-and-run, or you lost a loved one, these steps help protect the information a claim depends on:
- Share what you saw: Give the Berkeley Police Department any detail about the vehicle, the driver or the moments before the crash as soon as possible.
- Preserve video: Businesses, the hospital area and homes along Ashby Avenue may have cameras. Ask owners to save footage, since many systems record over it.
- Request the records: Ask police how to obtain the collision report and case number, and keep copies of hospital and Coroner’s Bureau records.
- Talk to insurers carefully: Report the crash to your own auto insurer, but avoid recorded statements or signing releases with any insurance company before getting legal guidance.
Legal deadlines and notice requirements apply after a crash, injury or death, and they vary with the facts of each case, the location and the parties involved, including any public agency. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights.
Investigating the Ashby Avenue and Regent Street Hit-and-Run
We at Carrazco Law, A.P.C., a personal injury and civil rights law firm in Irvine, California, extend our condolences to the family and friends of the woman who died. Two questions remain open: whether she was crossing in a marked crosswalk at Regent Street, and whether traffic or business cameras on Ashby Avenue recorded the impact. We have also covered a Berkeley hit-and-run that critically injured two seniors on University Avenue.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car, truck or pedestrian accident anywhere in California, our personal injury attorneys can help you understand your rights and legal options. Call us anytime at (800) 541-3244. Se Habla Español. Free consultation.
Published on November 4, 2026 by M.M., Carrazco Law, A.P.C. The incident described in this article occurred on November 3, 2026.
