San Francisco Hit And Run: Two Separate Bicyclists Killed By Motorists On Wednesday, Hours Apart
San Francisco wasn’t a safe place for bicyclists on Wednesday, as two separate hit and run accidents happened within hours of each other. One occurred in Golden Gate Park, and the other happened in the SoMa (south of Market Street) area. The coincidence may have authorities wondering how the accidents may have been connected, other than the city, time, and cause of death.
The first hit and run victim was a woman in her 40s struck by a man in his early 20s driving a white Honda Fit at around 6 p.m. According to the San Francisco Police Department, the victim had been riding near 30th and John F. Kennedy Drive when she was struck and left for dead. Witnesses claim the vehicle was traveling around 50 to 60 miles per hour in the oncoming lane to pass slower traffic.
One witness, Timmory Johnson, says the woman and her bike flew in opposite directions soon after the woman had passed him. The woman was found unresponsive at the scene, before being taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
#SanFrancisco is such an angry city ? Glad I’m moving to a sunnier city. 2 #hitandrun cyclist fatalities yesterday: https://t.co/WGylTsdfHl
— Ling (@LingLin4) June 23, 2016
The Honda Fit was found a few blocks down the road with a shattered windshield. It still had the paper dealership plates. Police say there were at least two people involved, both of whom had abandoned it. A second vehicle was suspected to have been involved, and may lead them to the driver. The car directly involved had been reported stolen, so purchase records would not lead to the driver’s identity.
Two San Francisco Cyclists Killed in Hit-and-Run Crashes https://t.co/JphVwFm4U1
— Pedal Revolution (@PedalRevolution) June 23, 2016
The second of the San Francisco hit and run fatalities happened in the SoMa area as the first crime scene was still being investigated, around 8:30 p.m. It is unknown if the second accident had been a possible result of the first, though it seems little more than a coincidence.
Near the intersection of Seventh and Howard, a driver had allegedly run a red light and struck a woman in her 20s. The suspect had fled the scene, but was apprehended afterward. Police confirmed that the driver is a 32-year-old male driving a BMW X-3 with California plates. San Francisco Police Department Commander Robert O’Sullivan stated that drugs and alcohol had not been a factor, as previously insinuated by a supposed witness on Reddit.
The two hit and run collisions have prompted Mayor Ed Lee, the Police Department, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to discuss ways to improve the Vision Zero initiative. This movement is expected to eliminate fatalities from lack of visibility, though in the end the responsibility lies with the driver.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVBLKhZw8rc
Being a licensed driver is a privilege which comes with the promise that you will do your best to maintain public safety. You are driving a machine capable of many times more lethal force than a bullet even at moderate speeds. It is your responsibility to keep an eye on your surroundings at all times while you drive and avoid potential accidents.
On Wednesday night between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., two drivers in San Francisco displayed the inability to accept such responsibility. The investigation is ongoing for the driver of the stolen white Honda Fit. If anyone knows anything about the driver of the vehicle in question, Police encourage you to call (415) 575-4444 with any leads.
MORE RELATED STORIES:
- San Francisco: Vigilantes Torture Public Masturbator With Sick Series Of Tableaus
- San Andreas Fault Ready For The Big One? Large-Scale Movement Confirmed, Report Scientists
- Memphis Officer Killed During Cowardly Hit And Run — No Charges Filed
[Image via ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock.com]
