WALNUT CREEK — Authorities have identified the teen killed in Saturday’s multivehicle crash on Ygnacio Valley Road as 16-year-old Alina Safi, a Mt. Diablo High School student from Concord.
The fatal collision occurred just before 5pm on August 9, 2025, on eastbound Ygnacio Valley Road just east of Oak Grove Road, an area that has seen multiple serious accidents in recent years.
Safi, who was reportedly driving one of the vehicles involved, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Multiple Victims Hospitalized
Four other people involved in the crash were hospitalized, and reports indicate they are in stable condition.
One is a person under 18 years old who was flown to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland. Emergency responders utilized a medical helicopter that landed directly on Ygnacio Valley Road to transport the critically injured juvenile. Additional victims were transported by ground ambulance to John Muir Medical Center.
A citizen who was at the scene took a dog involved in the crash to a veterinary hospital. It’s believed that the dog was inside one of the cars involved in the accident, although others have said that the dog was in the roadway before the accident.
Community Mourns Loss of “Gentle Soul”
Mt. Diablo High School Principal Markell McCain sent a message to the school community earlier this week informing them of Safi’s death. The loss has deeply affected students and staff as they prepare to return for the new school year.
A GoFundMe memorial account established in Safi’s honor described her as “a gentle soul whose heart was filled with kindness, compassion, and love.” It also noted Safi’s “radiant smile” and “her dream of building a future that would make her family proud.” The fundraiser had gathered more than $4,600 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Investigation Ongoing
Police have said the investigation is ongoing and they encouraged anyone who may have information to contact them at 925-943-5844. Authorities have not yet released details about the cause of the crash or the sequence of events that led to the accident.
An eyewitness account published by News 24/680 gives a powerful description of the immediate aftermath of the crash, but the eyewitness was not certain how the crash happened.
A Clayton reader gave this account of the accident to the Bay Area Telegraph: A “Prius was traveling down the hill on the other side of Ygnacio and swerved across the center divider to t-bone a white SUV, flipping it over.
The third car, also an SUV did not come in contact with either of the other two cars. The driver saw the Prius crossing the center divider and swerved up on the center divider just as the Prius was flipping the other car.
The driver of the third car, a nurse, cared for the first passenger pulled from the Prius while other drivers struggled to get the other two from the Prius. They were only successful in getting the 14-year-old passenger out of the Prius.”
The Walnut Creek Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team will likely be leading the investigation.
Support for Grieving Families
As the community processes this latest tragedy, support has poured in for Safi’s family and the other victims affected by the crash. The GoFundMe page includes the Islamic prayer “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raji’un” (Surely we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return), reflecting the family’s faith during this difficult time.
School counselors and support services are expected to be available at Mt. Diablo High School, as is normal procedure after the loss of a student.
Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact the Walnut Creek Police Department at 925-943-5844.
