BERKELEY, CA. (THECOUNT) — A 64-year-old woman was killed Tuesday evening after being struck by an alleged DUI driver who fled the scene at Ashby Avenue and Regent Street in Berkeley, Alameda County, California. Nickolaus Messina, 66, of Oakland, was later arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony hit-and-run causing death.
The Berkeley Police Department responded to the collision around 6:38 p.m. Nov. 3. Investigators said the woman was walking when she was struck by a westbound vehicle. The driver fled without stopping.
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The pedestrian suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a local trauma center, where she later died. Authorities have not publicly released her identity.
A witness played a critical role in helping investigators locate the suspected driver. After spotting a silver Kia Soul several blocks from the collision scene, the witness provided officers with the vehicle’s license plate number.
Police used that information to track the Kia as it traveled just beyond the Interstate 580 and Interstate 80 split. Messina yielded to officers and was taken into custody.
Messina was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence, gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run causing death. His bail was set at $380,000, and his arraignment was scheduled for Nov. 6.
Berkeley police thanked the witness for helping officers identify and locate the vehicle, saying the community member’s actions played a critical role in the investigation.
The fatal collision occurred at Ashby Avenue and Regent Street in Berkeley, in Alameda County’s East Bay region of the San Francisco metropolitan area. The intersection is identified in the police account as the crash location.
Google Maps: Ashby Avenue and Regent Street, Berkeley
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