Extra

The City of Berkeley Police Department (BPD) BPD Communications Center began receiving many 911 calls at approximately 4:28 p.m. the afternoon of March 7, 2011. 

The callers were reporting that there had been a collision involving a bus operated by the University of California (Lawrence Berkeley Lab – Berkeley Lab on side) and possibly two pedestrians at Center Street and Shattuck Avenue. 

Members of the City of Berkeley Police Department (BPD) as well as members of the City of Berkeley Fire Department (BFD) responded. According to preliminary details, the bus was travelling westbound on Center Street and was making a right/northbound turn onto northbound Shattuck Avenue. The women knew each other and were walking together westbound in the north crosswalk crossing Shattuck Avenue, when one of the women was struck and run over by the bus. The other woman banged on the bus with her hand(s) to gain the driver’s attention and was injured as a result. The woman who was struck was extricated from under the bus by BFD personnel. She sustained serious injuries to her lower extremities and was transported to a local Trauma Center for medical treatment. The other woman has been treated and released but understandably is very upset. 

A large crowd formed around the collision site and they had to be directed to move back so that the Berkeley Fire Department (BFD) personnel could work. Members of the crowd were exhibiting a great deal of verbal energy, taking photographs and such, and yet, there were no physical altercations.  

Three members of BPD who each have extensive collision investigation experience are handling the investigation. A BPD Motor Officer just shared that the woman, born January of 1957 has very serious open fractures and will require surgeries, hospitalization and yet, it appears that she will survive.