‘Loving’ 911 dispatcher is killed on way to work by accused drunk driver, CA cops say
A “loving” 911 dispatcher was killed while on her way to work, California officials said.
San Leandro police responded to the scene on May 5 and found a woman later identified as Antoinette Finau unconscious and suffering from crash injuries, according to a Facebook post by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers learned her car had been “broadsided and rolled over as she crossed through the intersection,” police said.
The other car’s driver was uninjured and was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, officials said.
“Antoinette impacted our agency with her sweet nature, kind heart, warm smile, and pride in being the voice on the other end of a call for help,” deputies said. “She was a loving mother, a sister, a daughter, and a friend to many.”
Finau was taken to a local hospital where she later died, officials said.
“We will remember Antoinette as someone who lived her life to the fullest and touched the hearts of those around her,” officials said.
Finau’s body was escorted to the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau in a “long procession that lit up” the highway, officials said.
“She was born a star, and you escorted her to this place like a star. We are grateful,” Finau’s family told deputies.
San Leandro is about a 20-mile drive southeast of San Francisco.
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