Man Killed Leaping From Freeway To Elude Pursuing Officers In Concord Wednesday

A man pursued by Contra Costa County Sheriff’s deputies ran from the wreckage of his overturned car after crashing on SR242 near westbound SR4 Wednesday, leaping from the freeway overpass and sustaining mortal injuries after landing on Arnold Industrial Drive below.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. as the unidentified occupant of the car led deputies on a circuitous pursuit through the city, eventually taking to the freeway at speeds approaching 100 mph.

While running north on SR242 the driver apparently lost control of his vehicle and overturned, running from the wreckage as police closed in and leaping from the freeway. A small fire started under the overpass by fuel leaking from the crashed car was put out by firefighters.

It was not immediately known why police were interested in stopping the car, though residents reported a vehicle running red lights and overtaking other cars at high speed prior to the crash.

Update: The Sheriff’s Office posted this account of the incident:

On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, at about 8:31 PM, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of a hit and run collision in Bay Point.

Deputies were assisting CHP attempting to locate the hit and run vehicle when a deputy saw a Toyota Prius driving erratically away from them. The deputy believed the Prius might be involved in the hit and run and attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the area of Willow Pass Road and Weldon Street in Bay Point.

The vehicle did not yield and fled at a high rate of speed, leading deputies on a pursuit that went westbound on Highway 4, Highway 242, and surface streets in the city of Concord.

The suspect later collided into a guardrail at the interchange between Highway 242 and westbound Highway 4. The suspect then fled on foot on the freeway. While running on the overpass to westbound Highway 4, the suspect jumped off the overpass.

Deputies found the suspect on the ground and immediately performed CPR on him with the assistance of Concord PD. An ambulance and the fire department responded to the scene to continue life-saving measures.

The suspect was later pronounced deceased at the scene. He is identified as 31-year-old Kentreal Irving of Concord.

Per the countywide law enforcement involved fatal incident protocol, this incident is being investigated by the Contra Costa County D.A.’s Office, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, and the California Highway Patrol.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.