Street racers suspected in pedestrian death

It appears that the death of a 49-year-old pedestrian in East Oakland early Monday morning was caused by two cars that were involved in street racing, police said.

The pedestrian, a non-Oakland resident whose name hasn’t yet been released by police, was struck by a car and killed near the corner of 82nd Avenue and International Boulevard, near a Walgreens store, at about 12:48 a.m., police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said.

Officers discovered that a black Dodge Charger and a maroon BMW 320 were traveling eastbound on International Boulevard at a high rate of speed, according to Watson.

She said it appears that the vehicles may have been involved in a street race when the Dodge Charger lost control and struck the pedestrian, who was on the north side of the street.

Paramedics responded and provided medical treatment to the pedestrian but the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Watson.

The unknown driver and possible additional occupants of the Dodge Charger fled from the scene and left the vehicle behind, Watson said.

The unknown driver and possible additional occupants of the BMW 320 fled the scene on 90th Avenue, about two blocks away, after the vehicle became disabled, according to Watson.

Both drivers remain at large.

Police said it isn’t yet known if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the collision.