After fatal crash in Oakland, the suspect fled the scene then turn himself in, police say

OAKLAND — After an Alameda man allegedly ran a red light, causing a collision that killed the 39-year-old driver in another car, he reportedly fled the scene but then called police to turn himself in.

But when he did so, 22-year-old Jacob Morgan allegedly displayed “objective signs” of intoxication as police interviewed him inside an Alameda hospital. Authorities wrote in court filings that he smelled like alcohol and was unable to stand as he admitted to running a red light and colliding with a Toyota Avalon, killing 39-year-old Troy Jermaine Lee.

Now, Morgan is being charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and leaving the scene of the accident, both felonies. The two-count complaint doesn’t include any DUI charges, records show.

Morgan is not in jail, and court records say a $95,000 arrest warrant was issued for him on Dec. 26, the day the charges were filed. His first court appearance has not yet been set.

Police said in court records that at about 15 minutes after midnight on June 24, 2023, Morgan’s Toyota Camry ran through a red light while doing a U-turn on International Boulevard and 23rd Avenue, colliding into the Avalon. Witnesses reported seeing the Camry’s driver, visibly injured and bloody, flee from the scene.

Morgan called police to turn himself in later that morning, according to court filings.

Lee was an Alameda resident who worked at a local catering business, Oaklandside reported in February. His mother told the news site that Lee was a “friendly, outgoing person” whose funeral was attended by hundreds.