Michael Burawoy Killed in Hit-and-Run Crash on Grand Avenue [Oakland, CA]

Retired UC Berkeley Professor Dies after Struck by Hit-and-Run Car in Oakland

 
OAKLAND, CA (February 5, 2025) – Michael Burawoy was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Oakland Monday evening on February 3.
 
The fatal crash happened just before 7:15 p.m. at Grand Avenue and Park View Terrace near Lake Merritt. According to the Oakland Police Department, Burawoy was walking in a marked crosswalk as a black SUV approached Park View Terrace while heading west on Grand Avenue.
 
The vehicle then struck the victim in the crosswalk and fled the scene.
 
First responders rushed Burawoy to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
 
Burawoy was a 77-year-old Oakland resident, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Coroner Bureau. He was a retired professor of sociology at UC Berkeley for nearly half a century and had served as president of both the American Sociological Association and the International Sociological Association.

Meanwhile, the hit-and-run suspect remains at large.

It was unknown if alcohol or drugs played a factor in the crash. Those with information can help Oakland police by contacting traffic investigators at 510-777-8570.

We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of Michael Burawoy.

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