Person dead, driver arrested after accident under the influence of alcohol

Road safety

First responders found a deceased person underneath a vehicle parked near a roundabout in the area.

Berkeley police are investigating a drunken collision that may have resulted in the death of a person in or near a tent at South Aquatic Park on Wednesday, authorities say.

Due to the ongoing investigation, few details are available at the time of publication, BPD said.

Officers were called to South Aquatic Park around 4:30 a.m. for a report of a person trapped under a vehicle, Berkeley police said.

Arriving police and firefighters found a deceased person underneath a vehicle parked near a roundabout in the area.

Authorities said they had not confirmed that the person was still alive at the time of the collision nor determined his official cause of death – which is a matter for the medical examiner.

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Police said there was a sleeping bag at the scene and that the driver ran over a tent nearby.

“We know there was a tent there. We know there was a sleeping bag there,” said Officer Byron White, a BPD spokesman. “But we don’t know if the person was in the tent.”

White said police have not determined the gender of the deceased person or any other information about them.

The Alameda County Coroner's Office said the person's identity was unknown as of Wednesday morning.

Police arrested the driver, a 40-year-old man with no address, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

“These allegations could change as the investigation continues,” Officer White said.

The driver's name was not available until booking.

The BPD Fatal Accident Investigation Team is handling the case, White said.

The entrance to South Aquatic Park was closed for several hours during the investigation.