Kidnapping, pursuit lead to fiery crash, death

A woman died in an Emeryville car crash after a police pursuit and kidnapping investigation that began in San Francisco Sunday afternoon.

San Francisco police said a woman was assaulted on Leavenworth and Turk streets shortly before 3 p.m. and forced into a trunk of a vehicle by two suspects.

The woman was able to activate the emergency release lever and escape the car in the area of Van Ness Avenue, according to San Francisco police Capt. Carl Fabbri. She is currently in “fair” condition and is being treated for her injuries in San Francisco, Fabbri said.

The suspects continued driving the car onto the Bay Bridge and Interstate Highway 80 toward Oakland, Fabbri said.

The pursuit ended at the intersection of W. MacArthur Boulevard and Peralta Street in Emeryville at 3:19 p.m., according to Emeryville police Capt. Oliver Collins. They arrived to find several San Francisco police vehicles on the scene.

The suspect’s vehicle collided with the front of a silver Chrysler, spun around and struck and light pole. The crash ignited the suspect’s vehicle but the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Collins said.

Police extricated the male suspect who was driving the car, but were unable to extricate a female suspect who died. The man is currently in critical condition and the adult victim in the silver Chrysler is also being treated for injuries.

The area of W. MacArthur Boulevard and Peralta Street in Emeryville were closed for several hours while police completed an investigation into the fatal crash.