Rolling Gun Battle Ends With Innocent Bystanders Seriously Injured in San Leandro

SAN LEANDRO, CA — Two elderly people were seriously injured when a car fleeing a shootout crashed head-on into their vehicle in San Leandro this afternoon, a police spokesman said.

Officers responded around 12:30 p.m. to reports of a shootout between people in two cars in the area of MacArthur Boulevard and Interstate Highway 580 in San Leandro, police spokesman Lt. Robert McManus said.

One of the cars, a Nissan Altima, ended up in the 300 block of Dowling Boulevard, where it crashed head-on into a Toyota Prius with two elderly people inside, McManus said.

Officers found a man near the Nissan who was suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries, which are not considered life-threatening, according to McManus.

The pair in the Toyota suffered serious injuries and also were taken to a hospital, McManus said. The driver had to be extricated using the Jaws of Life, he said.

The other vehicle involved in the shootout fled and police did not immediately have any description of the car or suspect.

Nearby schools, including Washington Elementary School near the crash scene and Roosevelt Elementary School near the shooting scene, were briefly locked down, McManus said.

He said the shooting and crash were part of "a violent, vicious attack that doesn't normally happen in this city."

— Bay City News; Image via San Leandro Police