On August 17, 54-year-old single mother Hongmei Chen was biking from her job in Oakland to her Berkeley home when she crossed the intersection at 51st Street and Telegraph Avenue and was struck by a large AAA truck, suffering serious facial injuries. A witness reported the truck was in the middle lane of the three-lane westbound road when the collision occurred. Bystanders and a nearby doctor provided aid; emergency personnel transported Chen to Highland Hospital, where she died on August 19. Police said Chen appeared to be bicycling northbound on Shattuck Avenue through a red light while the truck passed on a green. The truck driver remained and gave a statement. Police ask witnesses to contact the traffic investigation unit. Chen worked at the Academy of Chinese Culture & Health Sciences, was taking acupuncture classes, and was raising a 16-year-old daughter.
Another person working hard toward a future in the East Bay was struck down last week, devastating another family. Hongmei Chen, a 54-year-old single mother, was biking from her job in Oakland to her home in Berkeley on the afternoon of August 17 when she crossed the heavily trafficked intersection at 51st Street and Telegraph Avenue. According to a witness at the scene and a subsequent police report, Chen was hit by a large AAA truck there, leaving her with serious facial injuries.
Shauna Harrison, a witness to the collision, told The Oaklandside that the driver was in the middle lane of the three-lane westbound road when he collided with Chen. Within moments of the collision, Harrison said, several people rushed to Chen's aid, including a doctor who had been at the Arco gas station across the street.Falck emergency workers and Oakland Fire Department personnel soon arrived, and Chen was taken to Highland Hospital. She died three days later from her injuries, on August 19.
The police said it "appeared" that Chen was bicycling northbound on Shattuck Avenue "through a red light" when the driver of the truck passed westbound on 51st Street through a green light. The Oakland Police Department said the truck driver stayed on the scene and provided a statement to officers; the driver's name has not been released. The Oakland Police are asking those who witnessed the collision or its aftermath to contact the department's traffic investigation unit at 510-777-8570.
The Chen family's lawyer, Roseann Torres, told The Oaklandside that Chen was on her way to work at the Academy of Chinese Culture & Health Sciences in downtown Oakland, where she was also taking classes in acupuncture and massage. A native of China, she was raising her 16-year-old daughter by herself and had big plans for both of them. "She planned to graduate and to be in practice herself," Torres said. "It's an unfortunate turn of events."
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