Local dad still unconscious after being hit in Berkeley crosswalk

For Luis Soto, it all began with a mysterious voicemail from Highland Hospital saying his younger brother, Diego, might have been admitted.

From the message, it was unclear what could have happened: perhaps a medical issue, perhaps some type of crime.

When Luis tried to call back, the hospital phone lines were on the fritz. As a result, it took hours to reach a human.

"It was terrible," he said. "I cried a lot that day."

Because Diego was unresponsive, it took days for the hospital to find his family.

They tried his landlord and other local contacts before finally getting through.

Read more about traffic safety in Berkeley.

Luis would ultimately learn that Diego, 33, had been walking near the Ashby BART station on Friday, Feb. 13, when, according to police, an intoxicated driver struck him in the crosswalk. Felony charges have now been filed.

The crash left Diego with multiple brain injuries, a fractured pelvis and torn ligaments in his left knee.

He's breathing on his own but he hasn't regained consciousness. His right side responds to pain but his left side hasn't moved at all.

The doctors say it's still unclear whether Diego will walk or talk again.

"He might wake up tomorrow or he might wake up in a month. It's hard to predict right now," said Luis, 40. "We don't know how his new normal is going to be."

As a teenager, Diego moved to the U.S. from Peru to live with his brother in Santa Barbara.

He later relocated to the Bay Area after getting married and having a son, who is now 10.

Next week, Diego's mother will fly to Oakland from Peru to be with him. Luis is coming too.

Before the crash, Diego talked to their mom daily, Luis said.

But the last time they were all together was in 2023 when Luis' daughter celebrated her quinceañera.

Afterward, Diego brought their mother up to the Bay Area for a weeklong visit.

"All the friends and family are praying for Diego."

Since the crash, Luis said he had been trying to stay strong to keep his family calm.

But sometimes, he said, emotions overtake him.

Like when he was trying to organize the fundraiser to help with his brother's recovery, pulling together photographs and trying to explain what happened.

"I have my breakdowns," he said.

Luis said their mother continues to struggle to accept the gravity of his brother's condition.

"I don't want to imagine what her reaction will be when she sees him," he said. "We still have a week to go. I wish Diego could open his eyes in that time."

"I'm praying every day," he said. "All the friends and family are praying for Diego."

Luis described his younger brother as "a little bit shy, with a big heart," someone who was deeply loyal to a tight group of friends, including the ones he grew up with in Santa Barbara who shared a love of BMX biking.

When Diego isn't biking or working as a cook in an Oakland Chinese restaurant, he's home cooking in his own kitchen, his other passion.

Luis said it had been painful and also complicated to try to manage his brother's medical situation from a distance.

Getting details from police has also been tough.

Every day after work, Luis calls Highland Hospital for updates about his brother's condition.

But the phone system continues to be a problem, resulting in long hold times and disconnected calls – often requiring multiple calls back to try to get through to the ICU.

Luis said he starts the lengthy process after he finishes his shift as a restaurant manager and before he picks up parenting duties for his 8-year-old daughter.

"It adds a little bit more stress to the stress already," he said, adding: "I need to do whatever it takes for my brother."

Learn more about the fundraiser for Diego on GoFundMe.