Seniors sustain major injuries in Berkeley hit-and-run crash

A driver fled after striking two elderly pedestrians in Berkeley on Wednesday night, causing major injuries, according to preliminary reports.

Berkeley police have called in their Fatal Accident Investigation Team, which handles serious crashes as well as fatal ones.

Someone called 911 to report the crash at 8:50 p.m., according to emergency logs reviewed by The Scanner.

The Berkeley Fire Department found a man and woman on the ground in the northbound lanes of Eighth Street on University Avenue, according to dispatch traffic.

They appeared to have been using the crosswalk when they were struck and thrown 15-20 feet by the force of the collision, according to initial reports.

BFD rushed the couple to Highland Hospital "Code 3," with lights and sirens.

A neighbor who heard the crash ran outside to see if he could help.

He told The Scanner he found two older people in the roadway. Takeout containers were strewn across the street.

The man was not responding, but the neighbor was able to speak with the woman, who was clearly in pain with visible injuries to her arm and leg.

"She was trying to talk with her husband," who was on the ground bleeding from the head, the witness said. He "never answered because he was probably in shock."

The neighbor said he kept talking to the woman to keep her awake, telling her, "Stay with me, don't close your eyes."

He asked her if they had family in Berkeley and she told him they were just visiting from Barcelona and didn't know anyone.

The neighbor found the couple's passports on the ground and put them beside the woman so they wouldn't get lost.

He went back and forth to check on the man and woman, "trying to see how they were doing until help came."

Police have asked motorists to avoid the area due to the collision and ongoing investigation.

The eastbound lanes of University Avenue are closed between Seventh and Ninth streets "until further notice."

Stay tuned for updates.