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A local teen has been identified as the driver who died Saturday along Del Valle Road after colliding with a tree at high speeds, according to the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau.
A spokesperson with the bureau told the Weekly on Monday that Daniel Hernández Alvarado, 17, was the driver involved in this weekend’s fatal crash.
According to an online fundraiser that was created the day after the crash, he was a Pleasanton resident and student at Foothill High School.
“Daniel was a bright and kind-hearted young man whose life was taken far too soon,” the GoFundMe post stated. “He touched the lives of many with his contagious smile, compassionate nature and incredible potential.”
Pleasanton Unified School District director of communication Patrick Gannon told the Weekly that the district is also “devastated by the loss of a member of our Foothill High School community”.
“The district is focused on providing needed support to the family, and will have additional counselors and support staff for any members of our Foothill community as we return from break,” Gannon said on Monday.
Foothill principal Sebastian Bull also issued a statement to the community where he provided a list of resources for students and families and noted that the school will also provide resources for students on campus.
“I know that each of you join me in extending heartfelt sympathy and compassion to Daniel’s family during this difficult time,” Bull said in the statement on Monday where he also confirmed Alvarado was a Foothill Falcon. “The loss of one of our students is incredibly difficult news to share, as well as to process … Please know that we care deeply about each and every member of our community.”
On Saturday around 5:30 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers responded to a high-speed crash involving a BMW 535i that struck a tree on Del Valle Road, CHP Officer Tyler Hahn told the Weekly.
The vehicle was traveling northbound on Del Valle Road and crossed the southbound lanes before colliding head on with a tree on the right shoulder of Del Valle Road heading south, Hahn said. The exact location of the crash was south of Mendenhall Road and south of the Del Valle Regional Reservoir entrance booth.
“The solo 17-year-old driver from Pleasanton was pronounced deceased on scene,” Hahn said. “The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed.”
Hahn said CHP does not know why — apart from speed — the vehicle left the roadway.
According to the GoFundMe campaign, the money raised through the fundraiser will help the family with covering any immediate expenses for the funeral along with other related costs.
“As we try to process this unimaginable loss, we come together as a community to offer support to Daniel’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” the post states. “The financial burden that comes with the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming, and we want to help ease some of that weight so that his family can focus on healing and honoring the life of this very special young man.”
Hahn also said CHP are looking for any witnesses to the crash and asked if anyone has any information, to call their office at 925-828-0466 or to email him at thahn@chp.ca.gov.
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