OAKLAND — A 61-year-old Berkeley man who police said was fleeing from an earlier collision was in grave condition Tuesday after losing control of his SUV and crashing on the Embarcadero.
Police said that about 5:43 a.m. Tuesday the man was driving a Kia Soul crossover SUV when he collided with another vehicle in the 1100 block of Embarcacdero near an onramp to southbound Interstate 880. The other driver was not injured.
The man briefly stopped before driving away eastbound on Embarcadero at high speed, estimated to be at least 70 mph, police said.
A few blocks away, in the 1700 block of Embarcadero, the Kia swerved into the westbound traffic lane, struck the curb and continued forward off the roadway before rolling over and coming to a stop upright in a dirt area next to a freeway wall, police said.
Police said the man was not wearing a seatbelt and had to be extricated from the back seat of the KIA by firefighters. He was taken by ambulance from the scene to a hospital.
Authorities said it was not immediately known if drugs or alcohol were factors in what happened.
Anyone with information is asked to call traffic investigators at 510-777-8570.