FREMONT (KRON) – “I always knew someone would be hit and killed — I just never knew it would be my mom.”
Ton Ogi-Robbins struggled to come to grips with his family’s loss.
“In shock, you know, it’s in shock,” he said. “We still can’t believe it.”
His 72-year-old mother, Suzanne Ogi, was killed using the crosswalk on Rock Avenue at Niles Boulevard Friday night in Fremont — just 300 feet from where they shared a home.
Flowers and a stuffed animal left at the scene honor her and her labradoodle, Molly Cupcakes, who also did not survive.
“We’ve had talks with the city about slowing it down, making it single lane,” Ogi-Robbins said. “At the very least, they should have had stop signs here.”
The city has developed a “safe and complete” streets project to make Niles Boulevard safer.
A plan that includes some of ton Ogi-Robbins’ suggestions, which is scheduled to be complete next year.
But obviously too late in this situation.
Police said a caucasian man in his 50s, with grey hair driving a silver or grey sedan, now with front-end damage, is believed to be the driver who killed Ogi-Robbins’ mom.
“According to one of the witnesses, the driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian, he actually stopped, got out of his car, walked towards the female and then looked at her,” Sgt. Daniel O’Connell said. “And then he left and got back into his car and drove away.”
He’s now potentially facing felony hit-and-run charges.
Police and neighbors said drivers routinely speed in this area.
Where on one side of the road the limit is 35 miles per hour, and on the other its 40 miles per hour.
Ogi was a semi-retired caregiver who moved to Berkeley from Maryland in the 60s.
And, was an activist during the Civil Rights Movement.
“She was such a loving, caring person that is going to be missed greatly,” Ogi-Robbins said. “I don’t have any animosity towards the driver. You know, probably was afraid, took off. I just hope that they do the right thing and turn themselves in, just to help with closure and that’s it.”
Police say this is the city’s seventh deadly traffic collision of the year.