Coroner IDs Pleasanton woman killed after jumping from ambulance on freeway

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The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau has identified the woman who died after jumping from an ambulance during a psychiatric transport and running in front of a truck on the freeway Monday morning as 38-year-old Pleasanton resident Jasmine Johnson.

The multi-agency investigation into her death is ongoing, and the reasons for her erratic behavior throughout Labor Day morning remain unclear.

The situation began unfolding around 2 a.m. when Pleasanton police contacted Johnson after receiving reports of a reckless driver causing damage on Case Avenue, according to Pleasanton police Lt. Erik Silacci.

The Pleasanton woman was allegedly combative with the officers, including fighting back and trying to grab an officer’s gun, when they were pulling her from her car. At that point, two officers used their Tasers to subdue Johnson and gain control of the situation, according to Silacci.

She was detained and placed under a psychiatric hold, but first she was taken to Stanford-ValleyCare hospital for routine medical evaluation. After she was cleared, a Norcal Ambulance unit arrived at the hospital around 7 a.m. to transport her to John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro for evaluation under the psychiatric detainer, the lieutenant said.

A half-hour later, on the way to San Leandro, the ambulance was forced to pull over on the freeway interchange in Pleasanton because Johnson was combative in the back, according to Silacci. She reportedly freed herself from the gurney and then jumped out of the ambulance on westbound Interstate 580 just west of the I-680 interchange.

Johnson then turned and ran toward oncoming freeway traffic traveling on the southbound I-680 connector ramp to westbound I-580, according to authorities. Two cars were able to dodge the woman but a third driver could not avoid Johnson as she jumped in front of his large pickup truck.

The Pleasanton woman was struck by the vehicle and died on the freeway.

The fatality remains under investigation by the Pleasanton Police Department, the California Highway Patrol and the coroner’s bureau, according to Silacci. Anyone with information related to the incident can contact Lt. Brandon Stocking at 931-5100 — reference case No. 18-34368.