Ventura County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez dies from injuries after pedestrian-involved car crash

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – Ventura County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez passed away on Friday night due to her injuries from a pedestrian-involved car crash, according to the Oxnard Police Department.

Police said that around 6:40 p.m., a 38-year-old Oxnard man was driving a 2020 GMC Sierra westbound on Seventh Street towards A Street when he struck Ramirez, who was reported to be crossing the intersection within the crosswalk.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, according to the police department.

Police said that Ramirez was transported to a local hospital, but that she did not survive her injuries.

The department asks anyone with information regarding this collision to please contact Corporal Andrew Pinkstaff at 805-385-7750 or via email at andrew.pinkstaff@oxnardpd.org.

Ramirez, 73, served as the District 5 Chair of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors since her election in 2020, becoming the first Latina to serve on this board.

Prior to her role as supervisor, Ramirez served on the Oxnard City Council for ten years where she "was a fierce advocate for Oxnard and worked steadfastly to represent the diverse voices in her beloved city," according to a statement released by the city of Oxnard.

“I offer my sincere condolences to her husband, Roy Prince, and her family," said Oxnard Mayor John C. Zaragoza. "We will miss Carmen tremendously. We worked together often, while I was serving as Supervisor and she was Oxnard’s Mayor Pro Tem, and this camaraderie continued when she was elected Supervisor and I served as Mayor. She was passionate about environmental justice and creating a better future for our city. Her kindness, love and deep compassion for the community was felt by everyone. She will be dearly missed.”

"I have had the pleasure and honor of working alongside Carmen Ramirez both as an Oxnard City Councilmember and later a Board of Supervisors member," said Mayor Pro Tem Bryan MacDonald. "She was always a very good resource, always had an open ear and was a staunch advocate for the community of Oxnard. Her death is a terrible and tragic loss to the community of Oxnard and she will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with her husband, Roy Prince, and the rest of her family during this difficult time."

For the full statement from the City of Oxnard both in English and in Spanish, click here.