A 60-year-old man who slipped and fell while crossing Foothill Boulevard near Fairmount Avenue in San Leandro was still lying in the roadway when an SUV struck him a little before 8 p.m. on September 18, and the driver allegedly took off moments later. Now 51-year-old Oakland resident Shameka Edwards is facing a vehicular manslaughter charge in the death of Michael Adams, with a judge setting her bail at just $1,000.
According to The Mercury News, California Highway Patrol investigators reported that Adams was crossing Foothill Boulevard near Fairmount Avenue when he slipped and fell. A witness told police Adams was still down in the roadway when the SUV collided with him. CHP investigators said the SUV had been traveling faster than other vehicles on the road at the time.
Per CHP, the driver briefly stopped after the crash to assess that Adams had been seriously hurt, then drove away. Authorities later identified Edwards from surveillance footage of the crash, and she was arrested on September 30, nearly two weeks after Adams died.
Prior Crashes Cited in Court Filings
Court filings cited by the same outlet note that Edwards had been involved in two prior crashes — allegedly driving into a ditch near an Oakland construction site and allegedly rear-ending another vehicle on a separate occasion. She was arrested for allegedly hitting a pedestrian and driving away, and was ultimately charged with vehicular manslaughter. Judge Diane Meier set her bail at $1,000, and Edwards was released from jail. She is set to enter a plea on October 16…