Two deaths from early AM crash along Powell St.

A horrific car accident claimed the lives of two young men early Saturday morning near Boyd’s Auto Body along Powell. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. A string of tragedies have plagued our town this week. I sincerely hope the next story we report is some good news.

Candles surround the tree that was struck by the vehicle driven by Elijah Albert.

Updated from MercuryNews.com June 16th: Victims in fatal Emeryville crash identified as 22-year-old Berkeley, Richmond residents

The two 22-year-old men killed in a car crash Saturday were friends who grew up playing sports together, family members said Sunday.

Authorities identified the men as Elijah Albert (pictured below), of Richmond, and Kent Owens Jr., of Berkeley. Police are still investigating the crash that occurred at 12:38 a.m. on Powell Street just west of Vallejo Street, when the car veered off the roadway and into a tree.

Original story reprinted from MercuryNews.com June 15th:
Two 22-year-old men were killed in a car crash early Saturday when the driver veered off Powell Street and hit a tree, police said.
The names and hometowns of the men were not immediately available from the Alameda County Coroner’s office Saturday afternoon. A family friend, David Manson, said they both graduated in 2008, one from Berkeley High School and one from De Anza High School in El Sobrante.
No one else was injured.

Police are still investigating the crash and it was not immediately known if alcohol or excessive speed were the cause of the crash.
The car crashed into a tree on Powell Street, just west of Vallejo Street, at 12:38 a.m. Saturday. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger was taken to the trauma center at Highland Hospital in Oakland where he later died, police said. No other cars were involved in the crash, police said.

Anyone with information about the crash should call the EPD at 510-596-3700

Photo Credit: Emeryville Newz

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