Berkeley Police Arrest Suspected DUI Driver After Fatal Hit-and-Run on Ashby Avenue

BERKELEY, Calif. — November 5, 2026. Berkeley police say a community witness and a license-plate camera alert helped officers locate a driver suspected in a fatal hit-and-run that killed a 64-year-old woman near Ashby Avenue and Regent Street on the evening of November 3. The woman died after being taken to a trauma center. Police have arrested a 66-year-old driver on suspicion of offenses that include impaired driving and gross vehicular manslaughter, according to the City of Berkeley’s official November 3 release.

What happened?

Officers responded around 6:38 p.m. Tuesday, November 3 after a westbound vehicle struck a pedestrian and left the area. The Berkeley Fire Department transported the injured woman to a hospital, where she later died. Police have not released her identity in the official statement reviewed by California58, and this article does not speculate about it.

How police found the vehicle

A witness reported seeing a silver Kia Soul and provided its license plate. Officers entered the number into an automated license plate reader system. At approximately 9:02 p.m., the system registered the vehicle entering Interstate 80 from Gilman Street. Officers subsequently located it headed toward San Rafael after the Interstate 580/80 split and conducted a stop.

What charges or allegations are involved?

According to Berkeley police, the driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, hit-and-run causing injury and gross vehicular manslaughter, among other related provisions. A separate San Francisco Chronicle follow-up identified the arrestee. Arrest allegations are not findings of guilt, and no conviction is reported. Police have not presented a final reconstruction of the collision in the initial release.

Investigation continues

The Berkeley Police Department’s Fatal Accident Investigation Team is handling the case, identified as 2026-00049323. Residents with relevant evidence can reach the agency through official police contacts. The city’s release underscores the role of the witness, alongside technology, without establishing that an automated system by itself proved the suspect’s involvement.

Sources: City of Berkeley official November 3, 2026 release; San Francisco Chronicle November 4 follow-up. This is a November 5 report on an earlier fatal collision; the criminal case remains unresolved.

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