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Probation for woman, 80, who killed family of 4 in SF crash
Woman, 80, gets two years probation for killing family of 4 waiting for bus in SF.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - An elderly driver who killed a family of four in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood two years ago was sentenced Friday to probation.
No jail time
What we know:
Mary Fong Lau, 80, learned in court that she will not serve any jail time or home detention for the March 2024 crash.
The collision killed Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, a 40-year-old father; his wife, Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto, 38; their 1-year-old son, Joaquim; and their 3-month-old son, Caue. The family was waiting at a Muni bus stop at the time. They were headed to the zoo.
West Portal crash: Victims' family says driver concealed additional assets
The crash occurred in March 2024, when the 78-year-old suspect allegedly drove her car into a bus stop where a family of four was sitting.
No contest plea
Lau pleaded no contest to four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter, and a judge accepted the plea.
The Superior Court judge said Lau’s age, remorse and lack of criminal history were factors in the sentencing decision. She was placed on probation for two years and is banned from driving for three years. She also has to complete 200 hours of community service.
2024 crash
The backstory:
Prosecutors said that on March 16, 2024, Lau was driving more than 70 mph in an SUV when she jumped a curb and struck the victims at a bus stop at Ulloa Street and Lenox Way.
Family, prosecutors criticize sentence
What they're saying:
Friends and relatives of the victims said the sentence fell far short of the justice they were seeking.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also criticized the outcome.
"The court is not requiring Ms. Lau to even acknowledge her guilt," Jenkins said. "Rather than requiring a guilty plea, the court decided it is sufficient for her to enter a no contest plea. That isn’t justice. That isn’t taking responsibility for the loss of four innocent lives."
Jenkins added that Lau could eventually regain her driving privileges, which she called "troubling."
"This is someone who has demonstrated she can’t be trusted on the roads of California nor San Francisco," she said.
Defense cites remorse
The other side:
Lau’s defense attorney said his client is remorseful.
"Ms. Lau feels the pain of this tragic loss," attorney Seth Morris said. "She has taken accountability by pleading no contest and not requiring the case to go to trial, which could have taken years with an unknown outcome."
He added that Lau hopes the plea will help begin the healing process for the victims’ families and the community.
The Source: Sentencing hearing for the defendant, Mary Fong Lau