A Driver Fatally Injured A Cyclist in Chinatown last December
In the afternoon of December 27th, 2025 at 5:08pm a driver hit and severely injured a 65 year old man while he was biking in the bike lane on Webster St crossing 12th St. We just learned he passed away from his injuries a couple weeks ago on Sunday, January 11th, 2026.
We spoke to workers at Tay Ho who told us witnesses rushed into the restaurant that day to borrow towels to help the cyclist until the ambulance arrived. Our hearts go out to our Hayward neighbor whose life was cut short as he was biking in Chinatown, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
Traffic Case Information #25-056105
On December 27, 2025, at approximately 1708 hours, Oakland Police officers responded to a report of a vehicle versus bicyclist collision at 12th St and Webster St.
Upon arrival, officers learned a Toyota Prius collided into a bicyclist within the intersection. The bicyclist sustained major injuries and was transported to Highland Hospital, where listed in serious condition. On 11 Jan 26, the bicyclist later passed away from his injuries.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation pending follow up interviews and locating video surveillance of the collision. Based upon preliminary reports, the driver of the Toyota conducted a turn and collided with the bicyclist who was within the bike lane.
The identity of the bicyclist is being withheld pending next-of-kin notifications. The bicyclist is a 65-year-old Hayward resident.
At this time, it does not appear alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the collision.
This incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Traffic Investigation Unit at (510) 777-8570.
Lieutenant Tim Dolan
Officer Tim DeLaVega
Traffic Investigations Unit
Oakland Police Department
We are saddened and outraged that yet another life has been tragically taken due to traffic violence. 23 people were needlessly killed on the streets of Oakland in 2025, with untold numbers of others whose lives have been irreparably harmed because of serious injuries due to traffic violence.
These injuries and deaths from traffic violence are preventable.
Webster St is wide multi-lane road that drivers use to speed to the highway. Drivers will take turns at high speeds cutting dangerously close to pedestrians and cyclists. A painted bike lane is not sufficient protection from cars traveling this fast, intersections this wide allow drivers to turn faster than they can safely stop for people crossing the street, and intersections without state mandated daylighting prevent drivers from seeing people in the the crosswalk.
Half of Chinatown's streets are on the High Injury Network, including Webster St. It is just a matter of time before another person is killed here unless we fix the design of the street. The Chinatown Complete Streets Plan includes calming traffic, widening sidewalks, reducing crosswalk lengths, reducing number of travel lanes, and upgrading bicycle lanes north of 11th St.
Protected intersections like on 14th St, diagonal parking like on 13th St, and corner bulb-outs like on 12th St would very likely have saved a life by slowing the turning driver to a safe speed. The State of California mandates that cities provide 20ft of daylighting at intersections to enhance visibility, but 12th and Webster is missing the required daylighting which creates a hazard for people crossing the street.
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.
- We call on OakDOT to prioritize street safety upgrades here and across the city. Immediately daylight the intersection here by painting the curb red, and later add protected intersections like 14th and reduce width of the street like 13th to slow drivers to safe speeds.
- We call on the Oakland Police Department to treat these wrongful traffic deaths with the same gravity as other deaths.
- 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.