FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diego Aguilar-Canabal (DAguilarCanabal@cityofberkeley.info) (510) 981-7120
“I’m heartbroken by the news that Vincent Kohler died this week after being struck by a drunk driver in Berkeley on August 19, as reported by Berkeleyside. Our community lost a cherished father, husband, and local business leader who would still be with us today if not for the fatal decision of a reckless driver and the unsafe condition of our streets.
Walking on San Pablo Avenue should not be such a safety hazard, but neighbors experience this deadly danger on a daily basis. The City of Berkeley, Alameda County, and State of California must do more to ensure safety for everyone on all our streets, including state highways. Until then, traffic violence death on our streets is a preventable policy failure. We need more effective safety engineering and a fully funded Vision Zero program to ensure Berkeley’s streets discourage dangerous driving by design, and we also need more effective enforcement of speeding and DUI laws. I woon’t rest until tragedies like these are a thing of the past; I call upon my City Council colleagues and our partners at the Alameda County Transportation Commission and Caltrans to bring immediate safety improvements to the San Pablo corridor.”
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