A Driver Killed our Neighbor Hector in Garfield on Friday
On Friday, September 26th at 6:15pm a driver hit 63 year old Hector Jose Ortega as he was biking on Miller Ave onto E 16th St in the Garfield neighborhood of Oakland.
Neighbors shared footage of a white Ford SUV speeding about 50mph eastbound on E 16th St. It looks like Hector tried to avoid the collision by swerving ahead of the car but failed to predict the speed. The car hit him with such significant force it threw him and his bike on top of another car that had already slowed to wait for him to cross.
Our hearts go out to Hector whose life was cut short as he was doing something as simple and joyful as riding his bike on what should be a safe 20mph tree-lined residential street. Neighbors told us he lived here his entire life, since back in the day when he would play ball in the street with his friends. We extend our deepest sympathies to Hector's family and friends, especially to his sister who lives nearby.
Traffic Case Information #25-042429
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is investigating a fatal vehicle collision that occurred just after 6:15 p.m. on September 26, 2025, in the area of Miller Avenue and East 16th Street. Officers were dispatched to the area to investigate a report of a vehiclen collision involving a bicyclist.
Officers arrived on scene and located a bicyclist, a male Oakland resident in his 60s, who sustained injuries following the vehicle collision. Officers provided medical assistance until paramedic personnel transported the bicyclist to an area hospital for treatment, where he later died.
During the investigation, officers learned that the bicyclist was traveling southbound on Miller Avenue and entered the intersection of East 16th Street without stopping for a posted stop sign. The bicyclist was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound on East 16th Street. The bicyclist then struck another vehicle traveling westbound on East 16th Street. Both vehicles' drivers remained at the scene to assist with the investigation.
The pedestrian's identification is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
It is unknown if alcohol or drugs played a factor in this collision.
This is an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Traffic Investigation Unit at (510) 777-8570. If you have any videos or photos that could assist with the investigation, please send them to cidvideos@oaklandca.gov.
We are saddened and outraged that yet another life has been tragically taken due to traffic violence. 21 people have been needlessly killed on the streets of Oakland just this year, with untold numbers of others whose lives have been irreparably harmed because of serious injuries due to traffic violence. If trends continue then 29 people will be killed by the end of the year, only 1 fewer than the 30 people last year.
These injuries and deaths from traffic violence are preventable.
We spoke to neighbors who live on the corner of E 16th & Miller Ave. They’ve witnessed multiple collisions, mainly due to drivers speeding down E 16th as they use it to cut between 23rd Ave and Fruitvale Ave. The neighbors told us that they are desperate for 4-way stop signs and crosswalks here like all the other intersections have on E 16th St, and they don't understand why their intersection is missing them.
Exacerbating the danger here is it is very difficult to see approaching cars with fencing, trees, and parked cars obscuring the view. Some curbs are missing red paint, leading cars to park too close to the intersection and severely limiting visibility. It is hard enough to see a car traveling at 25mph here, and would have been impossible to see one speeding at 50mph even when fully stopped at the stop sign.
There are no safe bike routes in this area for neighbors to use. All of the major roads like 23rd Ave, Foothill Blvd, and International Blvd are missing the infrastructure needed to create a safe place to walk, bike or drive, and many of the residential roads lack sufficient traffic calming to slow speeding cars to safe speeds. These streets used to be safe enough for kids to play in the middle of them, but now even crossing one is risking your life.
E 16th St has been on the City's Bike Plan as a neighborhood bike route since 2019. It is also a suggested alternate route for Foothill Blvd, scheduled for redesign in the city's impending paving plan. If traffic calming like 4-way stops, traffic circles, and speed cushions had been added as planned then they very likely would have saved a life on Friday by forcing the speeding driver to go at a safe speed. It will be crucial for Oakland to expedite paving for E 16th St to install the necessary traffic calming sooner rather than too late.
Traffic safety is public safety. We call on elected leaders, Oakland Police Department, Oakland Fire Department, and the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) to treat the traffic safety crisis like the public safety crisis it is and to accelerate efforts to make Oakland’s streets safe for everyone, whether they are traveling by car, bike, on foot, or in a mobility device.
Quiet tree-lined E 16th St with a person in the distance walking across a crosswalk
- We call on OakDOT to prioritize street safety upgrades here and across the city. Something as simple and cheap as a quick build traffic circle, speed cushions, or 4-way stop signs would have likely saved his life.
- We call on the Oakland Police Department to treat these wrongful traffic deaths with the same gravity as other deaths and consider speeding as a factor in collisions, especially since it appears speeding was a primary cause of this collision.
- We call on the Oakland Fire Department to work collaboratively with OakDOT to reduce vehicle lanes and slow vehicle traffic across Oakland to save lives.
- We call on Oakland’s elected leadership to prioritize and fully fund street safety work and remove contracting, staffing and other barriers to achieving safe streets for all residents.
About Traffic Violence Rapid Response
We are a group of caring Oaklanders organizing together to put an end to traffic violence throughout Oakland.
We believe traffic violence is a systemic solvable problem. We believe we can build safe streets for everyone using internationally recognized street designs that prioritize the safety and comfort of all residents, especially our most vulnerable neighbors.
We respond to incidents of traffic violence by raising awareness about the incident, lifting the voices of the victims and the community, and demanding concrete action from those with the power to help.