Police said three juveniles in the stolen Honda were hospitalized with major injuries.
OAKLEY, Calif. — A stolen car driven by a juvenile slammed into a Tesla in Oakley on Tuesday, killing the Tesla’s driver, a 50-year-old registered nurse and father of two, authorities said. Two other juveniles were in the stolen car and all three were hurt.
Investigators are now reviewing a short pursuit that ended moments before the crash and examining how the stolen vehicle moved through city streets at high speeds. The case has drawn attention because it involved multiple police agencies, an abrupt decision to stop chasing the car, and a fatal collision at a major intersection. Officials have not released the juveniles’ names because of their ages, and they have not announced whether charges will be filed.
The deadly crash happened at the intersection of O’Hara Avenue and Laurel Road, where police said the stolen gray Honda sedan struck the Tesla Model Y driven by Erwin delaCruz, 50. Oakley police said an officer first learned that Antioch police had been pursuing the Honda as it headed toward Oakley. An Oakley officer waited near Main Street and Bridgehead Road and then spotted the Honda entering the city at about 80 mph, police said. The officer followed the car for roughly two miles before a sergeant ordered the pursuit terminated, police said. Within seconds, the Honda collided with the Tesla, the police account said.
One of the juveniles in the Honda was thrown from the vehicle in the impact and the three occupants were taken to hospitals with major injuries, Oakley police said. The crash also struck a second vehicle, which was hit as part of the chain of impacts, police said. Authorities did not immediately release information about the people in that second vehicle, including whether anyone there was injured. Police did not say whether the firearm reported inside the Honda when it was stolen was recovered at the scene, and they did not provide details about what led to the initial pursuit in Antioch.
DelaCruz was described by KTVU as a registered nurse, a married man and the father of two boys. The report identified him as the driver who died in the Tesla. The Honda had been reported stolen to the Oakland Police Department on Feb. 22, police said, and officials said a firearm was believed to have been left inside the car when it was taken. The stolen-car report, the police pursuit and the quick sequence between ending the chase and the collision are all expected to be reviewed as investigators reconstruct the timeline.
Oakley police said the department is conducting what it described as a parallel investigation with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol under the county’s fatal-incident protocol. That type of review typically focuses on evidence from the scene, including vehicle damage, crash data, radio traffic and dispatch records, and any available video from cameras or witnesses. Officials have not said whether the juveniles were suspected of stealing the car, how long the vehicle had been in their possession, or whether anyone else is being sought in connection with the theft.
The city called the crash “a tragic incident” and said it extended sympathies to the family and loved ones of the man who was killed. In a written account, police said the officer’s pursuit traveled along Main Street past several major intersections before the Honda turned south onto O’Hara Avenue. “The driver of the stolen Honda drove at excessive speeds,” the police statement said, describing the vehicle’s movement before the crash. Investigators have not released an estimate of the Honda’s speed at the moment of impact or said whether drugs or alcohol are suspected factors.
For neighbors and commuters, the crash turned a familiar crossroads into a closed scene of emergency lights, damaged vehicles and rerouted traffic as investigators documented the wreckage. Police have not announced a date for any public briefing, and the district attorney’s office has not disclosed whether prosecutors are reviewing potential charges related to vehicle theft, reckless driving or the death. Authorities said the investigation remains active and that they will provide updates as information becomes available.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.