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| Briana Ortega, 17, died in the crash |
Police say speed a factor in Alameda crash that killed 2 and injured 6
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Two 17-year-old's who died in a rollover crash in Alameda on Memorial Day have been identified as Briana Ortega, from Hayward and Simon Sotelo, from Union City.
By Laura Anthony
Tuesday, May 30, 2017 07:34PM
ALAMEDA, Calif. (KGO) -- The Alameda County Coroner has identified the two people killed in Monday's deadly crash in downtown Alameda. It happened at 8:00 a.m. on Park St., when a full-size pickup clipped one car and then rolled down the middle of the street, killing two and injuring five passengers in the truck and one woman in a mini-van.
Briana Ortega, 17, was pronounced dead at the scene. Ortega was a senior at De Coto School for Independent Study in Union City.
"Briana would've turned 18 June 12th," Ortega's teacher Linda Thomas said. "What I liked about Briana was that she was a determined young lady," said Thomas.
The other teen killed was 17-year-old, Simon Sotelo. Sotelo was a sophomore at James Logan High School.
A horrific rollover crash that killed two people in Alameda was caught on surveillance video.
"He loved football," said New Haven Unified spokesman John Mattos. "He played football for us his freshman year, not this year, but he was never prouder than when wearing that Logan jersey," said Mattos.
Mattos says he does not know yet whether any of those critically injured in the crash are also from his district.
Alameda Police have declined repeated requests to provide an update on the investigation. In the department's last Facebook post early Monday, police said they were investigating excessive speed as a contributor to the crash.
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A pick-up truck was involved in a deadly wreck in the East Bay, rolling over seconds after impact. Two people were killed in the accident Monday morning, and now neighbors are coming forward saying drivers need to slow down. (KGO-TV)
Monday, May 29, 2017 11:31PM
ALAMEDA, Calif. (KGO) -- A pick-up truck was involved in a deadly wreck in the East Bay, rolling over seconds after impact. Two people were killed in the accident Monday morning, and now neighbors are coming forward saying drivers need to slow down.
A horrific rollover crash that killed two people in Alameda was caught on surveillance video.
"I heard it definitely flipping. It was crazy," said Cole Hickman who had just arrived to work at a nearby restaurant. He helped comfort the driver of a minivan clipped by the truck. She was shaking, crying -- she was really scared."
Witnesses say the truck was carrying seven people -- two of them died, and five others are in critical condition. The woman who collided with them in her van was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
The investigation is just beginning, but police confirm speeding was a factor.
"Getting across the street can be difficult even in the best of times," said George Stephens of Alameda Bicycle. "Because you push the button, the lights come on but nobody stops."
Locals say speeding is a huge problem along Park Street.
Michael Kyono is pushing a campaign with signs reminding drivers to slow down. "Everybody is kind of upset just that it's an ongoing problem in Alameda, which is why the campaign was launched."
"Quite a few near-misses, where the pedestrian crossing is because people are in a hurry to get from one end of the town to the other," said Alameda resident Jessica Lindsey.
Alameda Bicycle never opened, as police spent eight hours cleaning up the wreckage, which included a toppled lamppost and a tree.
"Because of the accident, because there was a body lying in the parking lot when I got here -- it seemed to make sense to close for the day," Stephens told ABC7 News.
The Monday holiday likely kept people away during the time of the crash, preventing a greater tragedy.