Ceramic artist gets vehicular manslaughter charge in crash that killed Berkeley jogger

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 local ceramic artist has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for a crash that killed a Berkeley jogger in February.

KTVU learned of the charges against 85-year-old Buldan Seka on Tuesday.

The crash happened in Berkeley on the afternoon of February 12 at the intersection of Marin Avenue and Oxford Street. Friends identified the victim who was struck as 37-year-old Julia Elkin. The victim died weeks after being struck by the car when she suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Friends said Elkin had just landed her dream job at Sonoma Land Trust before the crash.

Berkeley police would not confirm if Elkin was in the crosswalk or not.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.

A website for the prolific Berkeley artist shows her ceramics. She is a prominent figure in the local art scene and has an affiliation with California College of Arts. Her work and accomplishments have been featured in several news outlets.

Featured