Police Chase Ruled Accidental by Coroner's
A coroner's jury has declared the death of 29-year-old Joshua Isaiah Marks of Richmond to be an accident, as announced by Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston. The jury's verdict came after an inquest held to understand the circumstances leading up to Marks' death on June 22, 2023. According to a post on the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office Facebook page , hearing officer Matt Guichard presided over the inquest featuring witness testimony.
The incident occurred after the San Pablo police had initiated, but then called off, a pursuit of a speeding vehicle. The chase began after an officer attempted to pull over a 1997 green Nissan Altima on San Pablo Dam Road toward El Sobrante just past midnight. However, the pursuit was halted when the Nissan accelerated to speeds exceeding 90 mph, said San Pablo police Lt. Brian Bubar, as per Mercury News . Shortly after that, deputies discovered Marks' body outside the crashed vehicle on Appian Way in El Sobrante.
