The person who was hit and killed by a speeding car after police chased it in Oakland on Wednesday was named as Castlemont High School teacher Marvin Boomer, Ph.D.
Boomer was killed when a car being chased by the California Highway Patrol hit him while he was walking with a friend at 12th Avenue and East 21st Street early Wednesday evening in the Clinton area of Oakland. The Oakland Unified School District confirmed this on Friday. His friend got some slight injuries.
The district released the following statement on Friday, the same day that its graduation event was set to take place at noon at the city’s Paramount Theatre.
“Castlemont High School and Oakland Unified School District are in mourning after the shocking loss of a beloved member of the school community. Dr. Marvin Boomer was a pedestrian who died after a tragic car crash on Wednesday, just one day before the end of school. Dr. Boomer was a beloved and vital member of the Castlemont family, having served the past eight years, first as a math teacher then as a College and Career Pathways Coach. His warmth, wisdom, and joyful spirit left a lasting impact on students and fellow educators.
“We extend our deepest condolences to everyone impacted by this loss. Dr. Boomer was more than a teacher—he was a mentor, a friend, and a source of strength and inspiration in the halls of Castlemont. His legacy will live on in the school community and in the countless lives he helped shape.
“Today, the seniors he worked so closely with will walk the stage and receive their diplomas at Castlemont’s Commencement Exercise. School staff, families, and the District will celebrate our students’ accomplishments with love and excitement just as Dr. Boomer always did, while still holding Dr. Boomer and his family in our hearts.”
The CHP said they stopped chasing the car just seconds before it crashed. The driver tried to leave the scene of the accident but was quickly caught and jailed. Eric Scott Hernandez-Garcia, 18, from Oakland was named as the person who did it.
The CHP said that officers were chasing his car because it was wanted in connection with a crime evasion case involving the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
There was going to be a gathering for Boomer on Friday night at the scene of the fatal crash.
The fatal accident happened just a few days after Oakland’s police chief asked for more power to go after dangerous suspects. Officers must end a chase if speeds hit 50 miles per hour, unless a commander gives them permission to keep going.
