After a Saturday afternoon crash of two BART Police SUVs and a medical supply vehicle responding to an overdose call at the West Oakland station, three BART police officers and the medical supply driver are reportedly recovering.
The Chronicle reported over the weekend on a three-vehicle crash involving BART Police at the West Oakland station at about 2:45 pm Saturday afternoon. Two of the vehicles were BART Police SUVs, the third was an American West Medical Transport minivan. And at least some of the vehicles were reportedly traveling at high speeds, as they were all apparently responding to a drug overdose that was at the West Oakland station. The aftermath of the crash is seen below.
🚨#BREAKING: Multi-vehicle crash involving two BART PD cars and a white Toyota Sienna. Three officers transported to the hospital. Police cars smoking at the scene. #ProtectTheWorld with Citizen
— Citizen (@CitizenApp) December 29, 2024
📍#Oakland | #California pic.twitter.com/sxPcxwlr5g
Now two days later, NBC Bay Area reported at about 8 am Monday morning that the BART police officers' injuries were serious but not life-threatening, and all four crash victims were hospitalized and are recovering. (Three BART police were injured, as was the driver of the medical vehicle.) The BART Police Department did not comment on the condition of that medical driver, and according to NBC Bay Area, “the driver of that van was injured, but the extent of their injuries was unknown.”
Some other angles of the carnage caused by the BART PD collision.
— bryan 'hydrogen is a scam' culbertson (@bryanculbertson) December 29, 2024
It is very very fortunate that bystanders were not killed or injured. pic.twitter.com/l64oAmcgF5
That station also describes the incident as “a high-speed crash,” and says that “Witnesses told NBC Bay Area the police vehicles had their sirens on as they sped to the scene.” The Chronicle also spoke to an eyewitness, and that paper relays that the other eyewitness saw how “one of the police vehicles ran a red light and T-boned the other police vehicle, causing both to crash into the minivan.”
The overdose victim was eventually tended to despite the crash, and the Chronicle reports that individual was also hospitalized.
The whole matter remains under investigation. If you have any information or were near the West Oakland station at the time, you’re asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Traffic Investigation Unit at (510) 777-8570.
Related: BART Police Arrest Man Menacing Riders With AR-15-Style Rifle on Christmas Eve [SFist]
Image: @bryanculbertson via Twitter
