Crime & Safety

Driver Killed in Fiery I-580 Collision Identified

Reed Austin Whittaker, 29, of Livermore was killed after his Jeep Cherokee was struck from behind.


Officials at the Alameda County Coroner's Office have confirmed that Livermore resident Reed Austin Whittaker was killed after his Jeep Cherokee was hit from behind by Hummer while driving on I-580 on Thursday morning.
Whittaker, 29, was an EMT and a supervisor for Royal Ambulance in San Leandro. 

Royal Ambulance posted about the loss of Whittaker on their Facebook page:
R.I.P Reed Whittaker! This is such a devastating loss for all of your team members, for your family and friends and for the EMS community. Your compassion and dedication to helping others was inspiring and everyone loved having you as their partner. Your smile will be missed… but you will never be forgotten!!

KTVU reported that Whittaker worked for Royal Ambulance for three years. According to Whittaker's LinkedIn page, he attended University Santa Barbara, Chabot College and was a field training officer for other EMTs.

The driver of the Hummer, Primitivo Garcia, 53, of Livermore was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence after the collision. Garcia and his passenger were able to escape the collision wreckage with minor injuries. Garcia is being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

Related article: UPDATE: Driver Involved in Fatal I-580 Collision Arrested on Suspicion of…

The fiery multi-car crash was reported at 10:04 a.m. just east of North Livermore Avenue on Thursday. The incident initially blocked traffic on both sides of the highway and a Sig-alert was issued at 10:14 a.m. Traffic did not fully clear until after 2 p.m.

According to the Mother's Against Drunk Driving website, "Drunk driving deaths typically spike over the holidays.

Bay City News contributed to this report.


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