Authorities said three juvenile occupants suffered major injuries and were not identified.
OAKLEY, Calif. — A high-speed drive in a stolen Honda ended in a deadly collision in Oakley on Tuesday, after police said they terminated a pursuit just seconds before the crash. The driver of the other vehicle, 50-year-old registered nurse Erwin delaCruz, was killed, and three juveniles from the Honda were hospitalized.
The crash is being examined under a county protocol used for fatal incidents, with multiple agencies involved in the review. Investigators will focus on the pursuit timeline and the moments around the decision to stop chasing the car, as well as the stolen vehicle’s route, speed and possible evidence inside. Police said the Honda had been reported stolen two days earlier and that a firearm was believed to have been left inside when it was taken. Authorities have not said whether that firearm has been found.
Oakley police said the sequence began at about 10:24 a.m., when an officer was near Main Street and Bridgehead Road and was aware that Antioch police had been pursuing a gray Honda sedan traveling east toward Oakley. Antioch police stopped pursuing the vehicle before it left city limits, but they warned neighboring agencies that the car was headed into Oakley, Oakley police said. When the Honda entered Oakley at about 80 mph, an Oakley officer initiated a pursuit, the department said, and the cars moved down Main Street past several major intersections.
Police said the Honda continued at “excessive speeds” during the pursuit and then turned right onto southbound O’Hara Avenue. An Oakley sergeant decided the pursuit should be terminated, police said, and then the crash happened almost immediately. “Within just a few seconds of the decision to terminate the pursuit,” the police statement said, the Honda collided with another vehicle at O’Hara Avenue and Laurel Road. DelaCruz, the adult driver of that vehicle, died from injuries in the collision, authorities said.
The force of the impact threw one juvenile occupant from the Honda, and police said two other juveniles were also in the car. All three were taken to hospitals with major injuries, police said. A second vehicle was struck as part of the collision sequence, the department said, though authorities did not release details about damage or possible injuries involving that vehicle. Officials also did not describe whether the juveniles were wearing seat belts, whether the Honda had been reported with multiple suspects, or how the car was driven in the final approach to the intersection.
The Honda had been reported stolen to the Oakland Police Department on Feb. 22, according to Oakley police. At the time of the theft report, police said it was believed a firearm had been left inside the vehicle. Investigators have not publicly confirmed whether they recovered a gun from the car or the surrounding area, or whether the juveniles are suspected of being armed. They have also not released the make and model of the vehicle struck in addition to the Tesla, and they have not said whether any independent witnesses have come forward with video.
KTVU identified the man killed as delaCruz, describing him as a registered nurse, a married father and the parent of two boys. His death has added a human face to a case that already involved a stolen vehicle and multiple agencies tracking a speeding car across city boundaries. Officials have not shared details about where delaCruz was headed or whether he had any connection to the pursuit, and police have not suggested he was involved in the stolen vehicle case beyond being struck in the crash.
Oakley police said they are working with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol as the investigation continues. The city described the crash as senseless and said it offered sympathies to the victim’s family and loved ones. Authorities have not announced whether the juveniles will face charges, whether prosecutors are reviewing potential filings, or when a public update might be released. Police said they will provide appropriate information as it becomes available.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.