Investigation Blames City Employee For Deadly Crash

BERKELEY, CA — A city of Berkeley employee who struck and killed a 70-year-old female pedestrian with his city-owned car in a crosswalk in Berkeley earlier this month was identified by city officials Tuesday as Daryl Brand, a behavioral health clinician who has worked for the city for 28 years.

In addition, the California Highway Patrol said Brand's failure to yield to Shelley Rideout while he was driving a city sedan as she was in a crosswalk at Channing Way and Fulton Street near the University of California at Berkeley campus at 1:21 p.m. on Jan. 12 was the primary cause of the crash.

Rideout was pronounced dead about 10 minutes after the collision.

CHP Officer Matthew Hamer said witnesses told investigators that the vehicle driven by Brand was going at about 15 mph. Brand cooperated with investigators and neither drugs nor alcohol played a part in the collision.

Hamer said that although investigators determined that the collision was caused by the Brand's failure to yield, the CHP isn't pursuing criminal charges against him because there's no evidence he had a criminal
intent or was driving recklessly.

However, Rideout's family could still pursue a civil lawsuit against Brand, he said.

Hamer said the CHP investigated the fatal crash because it handles all collisions that involve a vehicle owned by a municipality or other jurisdiction.

Rideout was a volunteer at the Berkeley Historical Society, according to a Facebook post by the group. In its post the group said, "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the accidental death yesterday of Shelley Rideout, the longtime and invaluable Berkeley Historical Society volunteer who coordinated the current exhibit, 'Soundtrack to the 60s.'"

Rideout also was a past president of the western chapter of the Costume Society of America, a national group that advances the global understanding of all aspects of dress and appearance. The Costume Society of America wrote in a post, "Shelley was an advocate for CSA and an active member and leader. Her strong and quiet guidance helped to grow and strengthen our organization during her term as president of the Western Region."

The CSA said Rideout "was interested in history from childhood, especially in costume history and design," and studied Theater Arts at Sonoma State University, where she participated in the founding of the Women's
Studies Program and helped to teach a course on Women in History.

The group said "her CSA friends and colleagues will miss her."

— Bay City News; Image by Renee Schiavone, Patch