Tracy man’s life honored after fatal road rage confrontation in Castro Valley

By Charlie Lapastora

A food truck venue, one of Tracy resident Jason Elola’s businesses, transformed into a vigil on Monday night to honor his life after a fatal road rage incident in Catro Valley.

Around 200 people – family members, friends and loved ones – showed up to the Street Eats 209 food trucks to pay their respects, light candles and share warm hugs to honor Elola’s life.

Elola was a family man, husband, father of nine and grandpa of four.

“Everyone knows that my father’s full of love, that his family was the most important thing in the world,” Angel Elola, Jason’s eldest son, said. “He was the best grandfather, father, friend, best friend, husband in the whole entire world.”

Angel Elola said his dad was on his way back from San Francisco for his brother, Aiden’s, 18th birthday with his wife, their 3-month-old daughter and their four-year-old daughter. They stopped in Castro Valley to get some ice cream. That is when Angel Elola said “a road rage incident happened” after a truck struck the back of his father’s car.

“My dad got out to confront the man, and that’s when it led to the incident,” he said.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said preliminary findings indicate a fight occurred between Jason Elola and the other driver. Elola was later declared dead in an area hospital due to injuries sustained in that altercation.

Angel Elola said he thinks his father died due to head trauma after the confrontation brought him to the ground.

It happened on Saturday evening in the area of Wilbeam Avenue and Norbridge Avenue in Castro Valley. A spokesperson with the sheriff’s office said the other driver had called the CHP’s non-emergency line after the altercation to report his involvement. That man returned to the scene to cooperate with investigators and was taken into custody.

Angel Elola said his father lived a life of love, support, and giving back.   

“He was a great man who’s going to have a legacy that continues forever with nine kids and four grandkids and many more to come,” he said. “He brought people together and people are here now to celebrate his life.”

Angel Elola said his father paid for him to go to culinary school, where he is currently in the sales aspect of the restaurant industry and is a classically-trained chef.

“I’m going to cook for him and my family because that’s what he wanted me to do,” he said.