Berkeley woman dies weeks after being hit by car while jogging

Berkeley woman hit by car while jogging dies

A Berkeley woman who was hit by a car while jogging two weeks ago has died from her injuries. People who live around the crash site say its a dangerous intersection. We spoke with people who knew the victim.

BERKELEY, Calif. - A Berkeley woman who was hit by a car while jogging has died from her injuries.

Ask anyone who lives there, and they’ll tell you the intersection of Marin Avenue and Oxford Street in the Berkeley Hills is dangerous.

"It’s just a very, very treacherous situation," Martha Berman who lives a couple of blocks away and frequently walks the neighborhood, told KTVU.

A spokesperson for the Berkeley Police Department said a pedestrian was in the intersection on February 12 around 1:30 p.m. when she got hit by a car.

Friends identified her as 37-year-old Julia Elkin, who was out for a jog.

"Tremendous future ahead of her," Berman said.

Elkin had just landed her dream job at Sonoma Land Trust.

Her alma matter, the University of Michigan, posting that the accident left her with a traumatic brain injury.

According to police, Elkin died Sunday night.

"I met her on many occasions, and she stands out! She’s how you’d want your kids to be: open, fresh, honest, thoughtful, smart," Berman said, adding that Elkin even watched her cats for her.

We spotted car after car rolling through the stop sign that goes downhill on Marin Avenue where the crash happened.

Drivers coming from the opposite direction have to step on the gas to make it up the hill.

It’s a gamble for those out walking these narrow streets.

"Are the cars going to stop?" Berman asked. "Do they see me?"

Berkeley City Council Member Rashi Keserwani posted on ‘X’ that Tuesday’s council meeting would adjourn in memory of Elkin.

Former coworkers remembered her at Tuesday’s Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting while adopting a plan to increase safety in the streets.

"She brought extraordinary light, positivity, and skill to her work and to her life and her loss is an unspeakable tragedy to her family and her friends," former coworker Sarah Jones said while addressing the Board of Supervisors.

There’s a now a makeshift memorial, a bouquet tied to the stop sign where Elkin was hit, as the woman known for her giving spirit paid it forward once last time.

"She’s so generous she gave all her organs," Berman said.

Berkeley Police could not confirm whether Elkin was in the crosswalk or not.

They are still investigating what led up to the crash, but they said the driver did stop and remained on the scene.

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