I-880 pedestrian fatality in Hayward being investigated as a crime

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) -- Southbound Interstate 880 in Hayward was a nightmare during Wednesday morning's commute, with delays that rippled across the East Bay and South Bay. It was all due to a bizarre pedestrian fatality that's now being investigated as a crime.

Police are focusing on what exactly happened on the overpass above the freeway, near the Industrial Parkway exit.

Traffic was backed up for miles during the morning commute because of a fatal accident at Industrial Parkway. Police say a man jumped from the overpass onto I-880 at 4:30 a.m. and was hit and killed by a big-rig. It may sound like a clear case of suicide, but police say think again.

"It's probably leaning more toward a crime," said CHP Sgt. Leonard Tomboc. "It's being investigated by Hawyard PD. At this point, it doesn't look like a suicide."

Why he jumped is an important part of the investigation. Police say because of what witnesses have told them, they are digging deeper for clues.

"Potentially there might have been other reasons he jumped," said Hayward police Lt. Eric Krimm. "And so, until we can get enough information to make that decision, at this point we know he jumped. Why? We haven't determined. And so we can't call it a suicide and we can't call it a homicide we only know we need to further investigate."

Their investigation Wednesday morning focused on a hotel next to the overpass where the man lived. A resident tells us the man was walking with a woman when someone in a car rolled up on them and pulled a gun. The woman ran, but the man suffers from scoliosis. Residents say he couldn't run, so he likely thought jumping was his only option.

Police won't go into that much detail, but we asked in what situation could a man jumping to his death be considered a crime?

"If there was a cause, a criminal cause that he was trying to avoid some attack on his person, then potentially that could be a crime. But again, that would be something the DA would decide."