Community mourns tragic collision that killed Pleasanton family
PLEASANTON -- An East Bay community was in shock after a solo-vehicle crash Wednesday night killed a family of four, including two children under the age of 15.
Friends of the family stopped by the crash site on Foothill Road in Pleasanton Thursday to mourn the loss.
The accident happened around 9 p.m. on Foothill Road near Stoneridge Drive in Pleasanton.
A neighbor told KPIX the family was on their way home after visiting friends. Something happened to make the driver veer off the road, hit a post and slam into a tree.
Friends of the family stopped by the crash site to mourn the loss on Thursday. Hasan Shiekh was one of many friends who visited the crash site with flowers in hand.
"It's truly sad and tragic to see this and hear this," Shiekh said.
He said he worked for five years with one of the victims who died in the crash.
"It's very shocking," Shiekh said. "He's a very nice person. Always energetic and always a pleasure to work with him and have conversations with him. We use to have a lot of conversations."
Friends, neighbors and kids who went to school with one of the children also paid their respects at the crash site. Pleasanton police have not released the names of the victims but say it was a mother, father and their two children. The Pleasanton Unified School District says both children were students -- one in middle school and the other in elementary.
John Roderigs lives near where the crash happened and recalled hearing and seeing the crash.
"Just popping noises and we looked outside and we saw fire," he said.
Roderigs wonders how this crash happened. He has noticed aggressive drivers on this stretch of Foothill Road.
"Every night we hear cars going really fast on that road," Roderigs said. "We've lived here for 10 years and it's been a problem ever since."
Friends describe the family as very sociable and active in the community. The father enjoyed outdoor activities such as hiking and skiing.
"Great father, great coworker. Good person overall," Shiekh said.
Police say they're investigating what caused the crash. On Friday, police announced that speed may have played a factor in the deadly accident.
The Alameda County coroner's bureau on Monday confirmed to CBS New Bay Area that the father killed in the crash was 41-year-old Tarun Cherukara George, and the two male children were Rowan George, 13, and Aaron George, 9.