Cyclist Hit By Truck, Then Robbed While Lying Unconscious On West Oakland Street
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Thieves stole a wallet from an unconscious cyclist in West Oakland minutes after he was hit by a truck, police said Tuesday.
The cyclist was driving on the wrong side of the road, police said, before colliding with the pickup, which was traveling west on 8th Street, around noon, police said.
UPDATE:
Cyclist Robbed After Crash Fighting For His Life; Heart Condition Complicates Recovery
Not a single person who spoke to KPIX 5 wanted to use their name or risk showing their face on camera. "I don't really want to be on record," one explained, which may not be so surprising considering what happened next.
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Minutes after the crash, police said thieves approached the driver of the truck and demanded his wallet. The suspects also stole the cyclist's wallet while he lay unconscious in the street.
"It was the sickest thing ever in life, and God bless their souls," said a witness. "They are definitely gonna burn in hell."
Another witness told KPIX he wasn't surprised by the crime, adding that thieves wait for accidents and then pounce on the victims.
"[It happens] all the time. It doesn't matter what happens on the street, it's gonna happen," he said.
In most neighborhoods, stealing from an accident victim would be considered unthinkable, but in this part of town, residents tell KPIX it's just the way it is.
"It's West Oakland," said a resident. "It's just the way they are and that's the world we live in."
The man who was behind the wheel of the truck, was not injured in the crash, or the robbery. According to police, the driver is a man in his 80s from Berkeley.
Police said Tuesday night the cyclist, a man in his mid-20s who is also from Berkeley, is in critical condition.
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