2 Bay Area activists killed in car crash in San Diego Co., friends say
Several Bay Area political leaders have confirmed that Peggy Moore and her wife Hope Wood died in the crash Friday
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Two community leaders in the East Bay are among the four people killed in a car crash in San Diego County last week.
Several Bay Area political leaders have confirmed that Peggy Moore and her wife Hope Wood died in the crash Friday.
The couple were longtime community organizers in the Bay Area.
Politicians, including Representative Barbara Lee and State Senator Aisha Wahab, are among those posting about the couple's legacy on Monday.
Moore ran former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's 2014 election campaign, was a senior consultant on Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton's successful campaign and served as the Political director for Hilary Clinton's presidential primary campaign in California.
Schaaf remembers Moore and Wood as kind and passionate activists with deep roots in the community.
"Two people so full of life and love and energy and spirit it's just difficult to wrap your head around," Schaaf said.
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Wood and Moore were killed, along with the 60-year-old man, driving the Jeep pickup when it collided with a Chrysler sedan at about 11:15 p.m. Friday.
The Jeep was headed west on state Highway 76 just past Horse Ranch Creek Road near the unincorporated community of Fallbrook when it hit the sedan, which was headed east, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.
In addition to Wood and Moore, the drivers of both vehicles also died at the scene while another passenger in the Jeep survived.
Only Wood, 48, was identified by the medical examiner, but social media posts over the weekend by colleagues and friends of the pair indicate they died together in the crash.
"We at East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club are devastated to hear of the passing of our past President Peggy Moore and her wife Hope Wood. Moore was a force of change in Oakland and the East Bay," read one post.
Moore's 25-years of political activism and organizing were highlighted by her work to secure and protect the rights of the LGBT+ community and communities of color, according to the post.
She and Wood met while campaigning for President Barack Obama in 2008 and in 2019 they founded Hope Action Change, an organizational development consultancy and coaching firm, according to the company's website.
"Together they organized, changed hearts and minds, and helped to create a world where who you love doesn't limit your freedoms," U.S. Congressional Rep. Barbara Lee posted. "Both Peggy and Hope made an impact on our community, on our city, on our state, and on our nation that will be felt for generations to come."
The California Highway Patrol is investigating whether the other driver was under the influence.
Bay City News contributed to this report
