Anthony Yates
A teen was fatally injured over the weekend after he reportedly fell off an overpass. He was watching an illegal car ‘sideshow’ at the time.
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What happened: According to a report by ABC 7, the incident occurred early Saturday morning in the East Bay. The California Highway Patrol alleged that the 16-year-old tried to jump across a gap between freeway ramps.
- Authorities told the outlet that the teen climbed over a concrete safety barrier at the Pomona Street ramp westbound to I-80. He then fell 75 feet onto the ground below. Crockett resident Jim Delisle reportedly told the outlet, “Yeah, I think he was trying to jump from one side of the on-ramp to the other.”
- Another resident, Scott Cranston, said he was shocked to learn about the spectator’s death, but was not surprised. “But the sideshow is just a matter of there would be a fatality. They’re hanging out of cars, they are recklessly driving,” he said.
- ABC 7 shared drone footage of one of the sideshows. Stunt drivers drew a sizeable crowd on the street, and excited observers let off fireworks.
Authorities Revealed The Identity Of The Teen Spectator
More than 100 vehicles: Per the San Francisco Chronicle, the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Bureau identified the spectator as Jose Cuevas from Harbor City in LA.
- The outlet also reports that the sideshow involved more than 100 cars. The convoy of vehicles took over the intersection of Pomona and Merchant streets near the freeway.
- Per SF Gate, emergency services pronounced Cuevas dead at the scene. CHP Contra Costa Officer Daniel Gilmore said that authorities are treating the teen’s death as accidental. He reportedly confirmed that no arrests have been made regarding the sideshow, although spectators run the risk of legal consequences.
- “It’s dangerous not just for the drivers but also the spectators. As a spectator, you can be cited and arrested as a misdemeanor,” Gilmore told the outlet.
Another fatal fall: A 15-year-old fell to their death back in July while attending a ‘pop-up concert’ at the Seattle Gas Works Park, per Minq.
- Witnesses reportedly saw the teen fall from a staircase. The Seattle Fire Department confirmed he fell roughly 50 feet to his death. Emergency services rushed him to a local hospital in a critical condition, but he did not survive.
