Kenneth Wade, a 59-year-old Berkeley resident, died Monday morning after spending more than a month in the hospital following an electric scooter crash on the UC Berkeley campus. The Dec. 1, 2025, collision happened on a downhill stretch near Moffitt Library, where Wade was found unconscious and then taken to a regional trauma center in Oakland. His death is the latest in a string of serious scooter crashes in Berkeley this winter.
According to The Berkeley Scanner, the University of California Police Department received multiple 911 calls shortly after 3 p.m. about an unconscious man near Moffitt Library. Emergency dispatch records reviewed by the outlet show Berkeley Fire initially had trouble finding him on the busy campus, then rushed him “Code 3” to Oakland’s Highland Hospital. The Berkeley Scanner reports Wade was not wearing a helmet and was bleeding from the head with no other obvious injuries, and that authorities said he “crash landed on the back of his head” after coming down the hill at speed.
Where He Was Taken
Wade was transported to Wilma Chan Highland Hospital, Alameda Health System’s flagship trauma campus in Oakland, which serves as the region’s primary trauma center and regularly treats severe head injuries. According to Alameda Health System, the Highland campus provides Level I trauma services and handles high-acuity cases from across the East Bay.
A National Spike In Micromobility Injuries
The dangers Wade faced on that campus hill are part of a much bigger trend. National emergency-room visits for e-scooter injuries have climbed sharply in recent years. As noted by Harvard Health Publishing, e-scooter ER visits jumped from 8,566 in 2017 to 56,847 in 2022, a surge researchers link to the devices’ rapid spread in cities and on college campuses.
Two weeks after Wade’s crash, Berkeley police say 34-year-old Jorge Velazquez Sosa of Oakland died after colliding with a parked car in central Berkeley. Media coverage reports he was pronounced dead at the scene. The San Francisco Chronicle detailed that collision and the ongoing fatality investigation, underscoring how quickly a casual ride can turn catastrophic.
Safety Takeaways For Riders
Safety experts continue to hammer home the basics for anyone hopping on an e-scooter: wear a helmet, slow down on steep stretches, and stay off sidewalks and pedestrian-only zones. Harvard Health Publishing offers practical advice such as carrying your own helmet and practicing in low-traffic areas before riding at higher speeds. The two recent fatal crashes in Berkeley are a stark reminder that those precautions matter, and that speed and convenience are no substitute for basic protection…