A 20-year-old man claiming to be the passenger who survived a deadly car accident told NBC Bay Area on Thursday morning that "his seatbelt and God" saved him from the gory crash in Oakland that split the car in two.
A 21-year-old Fairfield man, who was driving the Acura CL, died at the scene.
The accident was reported about 11 p.m. Wednesday in Oakland on MacArthur Boulevard near High Street at Interstate Highway 580 in the Laurel District.
Video taken at the scene shows the car almost a block up from the original crash site. Oakland police Sgt. David Faeth said officers believe the driving was driving at a "high rate of speed" when he struck the tree.
The man who said he was the passenger returned to the scene to let police know that his 21-year-old friend wasn't under the influence. He says his friend "just lost control" of the car at around 60 mph before being thrown from the car.
Police said they don't know if alcohol was a factor in the crash.
