Victim in deadly Chinatown crash ID'd, city officials promise new safety measures
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 Chinatown restaurant on Jackson Street where a vehicle crashed and hit two people was boarded up on Monday.
Police say they are still investigating the cause of Friday morning's crash at the landmark New Lung Ting Café, known as the Pork Chop House restaurant.
The San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim who died from injuries as Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, 49, from San Joaquin County.
‘Loving husband, father’
A fundraising site posted online says Zamora was a husband and father who was the only provider for his family. It says he was working last Friday when he was hit by the vehicle, and described him as a "humble man who wanted the best for his family."
"Everybody's shocked, and the scene was very devastating," Laura Li, a Chinatown business owner, said, adding that many community members hope to help the victims' families and the restaurant owner who had to close.
City officials promise new safety measures
At a meeting on Monday in Chinatown, police said they are still investigating the cause of the crash.
"The gentleman was trying to park in a parking spot and lost control of his vehicle, drove across the street and unfortunately hit two folks on the sidewalk," Capt. Christopher Del Gandio of the SFPD Central Station said.
Police say the 76-year-old driver is cooperating with investigators. Police say there's no evidence that alcohol or drugs were involved in the crash.
The fatal crash comes after another deadly incident in the city's West Portal neighborhood, where a family of four was killed when a vehicle driven by 80-year-old Mary Lau accelerated and hit the family where they waited at a bus stop. A judge sentenced Lau to six days in jail and two years of probation in that case.
Questions about cause of crash
On Monday, some people wondered about the Chinatown incident and whether the driver's age, or confusion between the brake and gas pedals might have been a factor.
"Maybe if people hit a certain age, you got to get retested for your driver's license is something I was thinking about," Keith Hong, who works next door to the crash scene, said.
"Of course, seniors need to drive because it's convenient, but maybe the law needs to change," Lily Lo, a Chinatown business owner, said.
District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter says other states do have DMV policies that he says could help improve safety.
"Other states, after a certain age, you have to do in-person renewals at a more frequent cadence or intervals, than in CA and I think that's something we have to take a look at," Sauter said.
SFMTA promises safety changes with new "high-injury" map
City officials promised to fast-track safety efforts on the street where the crash happened.
"We're increasing enforcement in the coming weeks in high injury networks, so we'll definitely be out there educating folks," Capt. Del Gandio said.
SFMTA Streets Director Viktoriya Wise said they will be taking action as well, following the latest publication of the city's high-injury network map on Sunday.
"The high-injury network is a map of the city where we have 13% of streets where 78 % of our fatalities and severe injuries happen," Wise said. "We will be working immediately to daylight the section of Jackson and Grant. It is on a high-injury network, and we'll be doing that in the next week or two."
It's still unknown what caused the Chinatown crash. Police say they hope to finish the investigation in the coming weeks.
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