OAKLAND – Authorities on Wednesday arrested a suspect in connection with a fatal hit-and-run earlier this month in Oakland.
The collision happened just before 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 3 at Grand Avenue and Park View Terrace, according to the Oakland Police Department. The victim, identified as Michael Burawoy, 77, of Oakland, was taken to an area hospital, where he died of his injuries.
Officers later determined Burawoy was walking in a marked crosswalk when he was hit by a driver traveling westbound on Grand Avenue. The driver did not stop at the scene.
On Wednesday, police said officers found the vehicle involved in the collision and identified the driver.
Burawoy’s death sent shockwaves through UC Berkeley, where he spent 47 years teaching sociology. He also served as president of the American Sociological Association and the International Sociological Association. He retired in 2023 and remained a professor emeritus.
“His greatest legacy went far beyond the many books and articles he published or prestigious awards he received,” Raka Ray, the university’s dean of social sciences, said in a statement following Burawoy’s death. “It was in the people whose lives he changed. He was an extraordinary teacher, who mentored and inspired thousands of students, changing their lives with his fierce intellect and kindness.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to the case can call the Traffic Investigation Unit at 510-777-8570.
Staff writer Rick Hurd contributed to this report.
<