An Oakland man who suffered a seizure while driving last Friday was shot and robbed after crashing into a second vehicle near 78th Avenue and Plymouth Street, his family says. Andre Buchanan, who has epilepsy, is now in the hospital and facing weeks of recovery after surgery on his leg. His wife, Essence Washington, has launched a fundraiser to help cover medical bills while Oakland police continue their investigation.
How a Medical Emergency Turned Into an Attack
Buchanan said he blacked out behind the wheel last Friday, first hitting a parked car and then colliding with a second vehicle near 78th and Plymouth. He told reporters that the other driver then walked up, robbed him and shot him in the leg, according to ABC7 San Francisco. Buchanan said the attacker took his phone and wallet and that he was “in and out of consciousness” when officers arrived. His wife, Essence Washington, told the station, “I’ve been crying. This is the first day I haven’t cried at all.”
Hospital Stay and Community Fundraiser
The family has created a GoFundMe to ask for help with medical care, therapy and daily expenses as Buchanan relearns to walk, according to the fundraiser page. Organizer Essence Washington writes that last Friday’s seizure and shooting left her husband hospitalized and unable to work, and that donations will go toward treatment and replacing the family’s only car. The page, posted on Monday, includes updates on his recovery. Donations and more details are available on the family’s GoFundMe…