Berkeley crash witness: Driver was 'clearly trying to hit people'

Update, 12:45 p.m. More details have begun to emerge about a horrific series of events in Berkeley on Tuesday morning, when a driver reportedly ran down three people, including an older man on a bike.

The third collision happened right in front of Alec Earley, a former combat medic who now lives in Berkeley.

Earley was in his car at the stop sign at Warring and Derby streets, facing south, waiting for a man on a bike to go by when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a driver barreling down the road at 45-50 mph.

Driver attack was deliberate but random, Berkeley police say

“There is no evidence that these acts were racially or politically motivated,” Berkeley police said in a statement Tuesday night.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Both men were westbound on Derby Street heading toward downtown.

Earley said he began to honk his horn when he realized the driver was bearing down, closing the gap.

"He was very clearly trying to hit people," he said. "It was all just a split second before the cyclist was going over the top of the car."

The impact of the collision sent the cyclist 50 feet or more down the street, he said.

Earley immediately rushed up to the man, who was twisted on the ground and bleeding from the head.

He wasn't moving. Photos from the scene showed his bike mangled on the pavement.

On the phone with 911, Earley said he initially struggled to get his bearings to direct first responders to the scene.

The 911 dispatcher kept asking if he was on Belrose Avenue — where the driver had reportedly just hit two other people — and he explained he was a few blocks away.

The driver, meanwhile, had continued speeding down the road, turning onto Piedmont Avenue about a block away at the forced left.

When Earley walked back to the cyclist, a group of young women, possibly Cal students, had crowded around him.

He was sitting up, eyes open, and someone had wrapped a towel around his head.

The cyclist was an older man with a thick beard. He was thin with a smaller frame. He wore a helmet as well as a reflective jacket.

As they waited for police, Earley said two other motorists came through the area asking where the BMW driver had gone and saying he had just hit two people up the street.

"They were just trying to make sense of it, too, and make sure the guy got caught," Earley said.

After officers arrived, Earley went over to Emerson Elementary with them about 20 minutes later to see if he could identify the suspect's vehicle.

"As we were driving by the school, tons and tons of kids were on their way inside. It was right at that time," he said. "That was the scariest part."

Police have not released any details about the driver who was arrested or any information about patient conditions.

Stay tuned for updates.

Original story: An investigation is underway in Berkeley after a driver struck three people Tuesday morning, sending them to the hospital, authorities say.

At least one of the victims was a woman who had to undergo surgery. All three victims were adults, police said.

Berkeley police began getting calls at about 7:45 a.m. after a motorist drove onto the sidewalk and struck two people in the 2700 block of Belrose Avenue, authorities said.

The incident happened near Derby Street, about a block from Emerson Elementary School in the Claremont-Elmwood neighborhood. Multiple people called 911 to report the crime.

Police said the suspect attempted to flee the area on Derby Street as police responded, abandoning his car in the 2800 block of Garber Street, near the school, and trying to carjack someone.

Berkeley police officers found him in the 2800 block of College Avenue and arrested him.

A community member who heard the arrest said police were searching the area on foot for about 30 minutes: "A helicopter has been circling overhead basically nonstop since," they said about 9:15 a.m.

During the investigation, authorities located a third victim on Derby Street and took the individual to the hospital for medical treatment.

Police said they now have five crime scenes under investigation and that no other details about the arrest or injured parties were immediately available.

"We understand the fear and concern this incident has caused, especially during the busy morning commute near schools and residential neighborhoods," Berkeley police said in a prepared statement. "Thanks to the rapid response by officers, the suspect is now in custody, and there is no ongoing threat to the community."

Berkeley police are asking community members to avoid the area and share any related information, including video footage, about what happened.

"This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Officers are still in the field interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence," authorities said.

This story will be updated as more details are released.