Child Reportedly Chased Ball Into Street; Investigation Underway If Bus Was Speeding
Oakland, CA (September 20, 2016) – A 2-year-old boy was hit and killed by an AC Transit bus in Oakland on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of 35th Avenue and Penniman Avenue when he was chasing a ball. The 2-year-old boy was identified by his aunt as Jeremiah Esera. Jeremiah was pronounced dead upon the arrival of Oakland police officers.
Oakland Police Officer Marco Marquez stated that “officers and first responders on scene were heartbroken by this incident. This is a tragic, sad loss for the family and for our community.”
Jeremiah had three other siblings and had been visiting relatives in Oakland with his family at the time of the incident. Jeremiah’s aunt said that the boy was supervised as he was playing outside but that the supervising adult was unable to stop Jeremiah when he ran into the street after his ball. Jeremiah’s family stated: “He was always helpful and loved showing family with his sweet hugs and sloppy face wet kisses.”
Oakland police reported that it was unclear whether the AC Transit bus was speeding or if there were any other factors that contributed to the crash. AC Transit did not release any information about the driver or the driver’s record except that the AC Transit driver had been working for the agency since 2009. The driver was administered a toxicology test, which an AC Transit spokesperson has confirmed is standard procedure with such incidents.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact the Oakland Police Traffic Investigators at (510) 777-8570.
We offer our deepest condolences to Jeremiah’s family in this time of grieving.
