Driver in fatal Chinatown crash charged with vehicular manslaughter

Chinatown fatal crash victim ID'd, safety measures proposed

The victim killed in Friday's Chinatown crash was identified Monday by the medical examiner as Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, 49, of San Joaquin County. At a meeting on Monday, city officials said the cause of the crash is still under investigation. 

SAN FRANCISCO - The 76-year-old man arrested for a March 27 crash in San Francisco’s Chinatown that left a man dead has been charged with vehicular manslaughter.

Zhuo Ming Lu on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, and denied the allegations against him, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

In addition to the charge of vehicular manslaughter, Lu is charged with driving a vehicle in the commission of unlawful acts and driving at unsafe speed without gross negligence.

The crash

The backstory:

Authorities said Lu was attempting to park near Grant Avenue and Jackson Street when his vehicle jumped the sidewalk and crashed into the landmark New Lung Ting Cafe, also known as the Pork Chop House. The vehicle struck two pedestrians: Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, 49, of San Joaquin County and a second person who has not been identified.

"The victims were transported by paramedics to a local hospital. Despite the lifesaving efforts of first responders and medical staff, one of the victims was declared deceased at the hospital," a release from the district attorney’s office states. "Another adult victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries."

One fatality

Dig deeper:

Zamora-Martinez had been working in the area, according to a GoFundMe page. A San Francisco Police Department source close to the investigation told KTVU the victims were carpet installers arriving for work.

The fundraising page described Zamora-Martinez as a husband and father who was the sole provider for his family and "a humble man who wanted the best for his family."

Police said Lu remained at the scene of the crash and cooperated with investigators. 

Court date

What's next:

Lu was arrested in April, and was later released on his own recognizance. He was ordered not to drive, and to surrender his driver’s license and passport. The court also ordered the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend Lu’s license.

He is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial hearing on Sept. 30.