OAKLAND — A 39-year-old man who had just painted some graffiti on an Interstate 880 center divider in East Oakland was killed late Thursday night when a vehicle that kept going hit him as he was trying to cross the freeway back to the shoulder area, the California Highway Patrol said Friday.
The Alameda County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Nelson Guzman. The office was trying to confirm where he lived.
Social media posts, as well as a family member who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Guzman was known for by his tag name, “Nels.” An Instagram page for the graffiti writer Nels includes hundreds of pictures of his work, including legal murals and illegal graffiti. On some photos, dozens of commenters offered condolences.
The CHP said the man was hit by a vehicle at about 11:42 p.m. Thursday in the southbound lanes of I-880 at the 29th Avenue off ramp. He died at the scene.
The CHP said in a news release that its preliminary investigation determined Guzman was painting graffiti in the center divide of the south bound lanes and was attempting to cross back to the right shoulder when he was struck by a vehicle and killed.
CHP Officer Sean Layton said the man was hit in the lane closest to the center divider. The freeway has four lanes at that point. The vehicle kept going and there is currently no description of the vehicle or its driver, the CHP said.
All southbound lanes of the freeway were blocked and a SigAlert was issued while the CHP investigated. All lanes were reopened early Friday.
Anyone with information about the fatal collision is asked to call the CHP at 510-457-2875.
Check back for updates.