No charges in fatal crash of ex-Chez Panisse director
The motorist in the fatal crash involving bicyclist Jonathan Waters, prominent former wine director at Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, will not be charged, Oakland police said.
The investigation by Oakland Police determined that Waters’ bike made a left turn in front of the oncoming vehicle at Shattuck Avenue and 55th Street at around 10:30 p.m. May 27. Waters, 60, suffered severe head injury. He was treated at the scene by the Oakland Fire Department before being rushed to the hospital where he died just before 8 a.m. the next morning.
The driver of the vehicle, an 18-year-old Alamo resident, remained at the scene and spoke with officers. He was not identified by name.
Video evidence showed the bicycle’s left turn caused the collision, Officer Kim Armstead of Oakland police told The Chronicle Saturday night. “No charges will be brought against the driver” of the vehicle, the officer said.
Waters, brother of British film star Mark Rylance, was born in Cyprus and raised in both England and Wisconsin. Known as “Jonno,” he had started at Chez Panisse as a busser in the early 1980s and eventually took over the wine program, despite not having much experience in wine or restaurants. He also spent many years as Chez Panisse’s maître d’.
“I was just looking for people who had the right spirit. Jonathan was one of those people,” said the restaurant founder Alice Waters, who was not related to him. “He was just great with people. He had this kind of instant rapport and a very great passion around wine.”
Recently, Waters had left Chez Panisse to pursue other interests.