Driver in critical condition; alcohol discovered in trunk

Dennis Evanosky

Police investigators closed Island Drive while working at the accident site.

A 15-year-old Alameda boy remains in critical condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland after sustaining injuries when he drove a car into a tree on Island Drive last Friday, July 6.

Alameda Police Department (APD) received multiple calls from residents around 1:36 a.m. that a crash occurred on the 800 block of Island.

Officers arrived at the scene and spotted the driver side of a 2005 Chevy Malibu lodged into a tree, according to APD traffic division Sgt. Ron Simmons. Inside the vehicle were six teenagers — four girls and two boys — ranging from 13 to 15-years-old, according to Simmons.

"We were able to talk to all the kids, except for the driver because of the severity of his injuries," said APD Lt. Rob Frankland, who was at the scene of the accident. "The driver was taken to Highland with life-threatening injuries."

After interrogating the teens, all Alameda residents, APD learned the car belonged to the parents of two of the girls, who were sisters, and believe the sisters took their parents' keys without permission. Officers also found alcohol in the trunk, which the sisters' father confirmed was his.

The teens were treated at different hospitals. "Two went to Highland Hospital, one went to Kaiser Oakland and three went to Children's Hospital of Oakland," said Frankland. Only two remain in the hospital as of Tuesday, July 10. Along with the driver, one passenger is being treated at Children's Hospital with back injuries.

Alameda Fire Department (AFD) was also a big part of the rescue. The five passengers were able to evacuate the vehicle on their own, but AFD could not remove the driver because of the impact the tree had on the driver side of the car.

AFD used Holmatro Hydraulic Extrication Equipment or the "Jaws of Life" to rip the roof apart and remove the driver.

APD is conducting several investigations including a toxicology report to determine if the driver was under the influence, to find out what caused the crash and to understand how the sisters obtained their parents' keys.

APD will not release the names of the victims because they are minors.

Contact Ekene Ikeme at eikeme@ alamedasun.com.