Woman accused of wiping out entire family in San Francisco crash likely won't get prison time

SAN FRANCISCO - An 80-year-old woman accused of driving at a high rate of speed and crashing into a family of four, killing them, at a San Francisco bus stop nearly two years ago, appeared in court on Friday. Mary Fong Lau had pleaded no contest to four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter in that crash. 

Prison time unlikely 

The Superior Court judge in that case indicated Lau will likely get probation and no prison time after factoring in her age, remorse, and lack of criminal history. 

The judge said she would likely serve two to three years probation and be banned from driving. 

James Quadra, the attorney of the victims' relatives, said they were appalled at this development in the crash where a single family, including two children ages two and under, were killed. 

Quadra said, "a no-contest plea avoids the moral accountability that this case demands."

"What happened on March 16, 2024 was not a minor mistake. Ms. Lau drove at an extreme rate of speed through a residential neighborhood and wiped out an entire young family who were simply waiting for a bus.," said Quadra. "Diego, Matilde, one-year-old Joaquim, and three-month-old Cauê are gone forever." 

The attorney argued that if the defendant gets away with probation without prison time that it would send a concerning message to the public that an older driver can get away with killing a family in a car crash an simply get a "slap on the wrist." 

"Age cannot become a shield against meaningful consequences when the conduct constitutes gross negligence and results in catastrophic loss," Quadra said. 

Lau's family had urged the court for home detention and meaningful community service. 

Dig deeper:

Last spring, Lau was accused in a civil lawsuit of fraudulently transferring her interests in San Francisco real estate in an effort to evade financial responsibility to the relatives of the crash victims. 

The crash happened at a Muni bus stop on Ulloa Street and Lenox Way. Prosecutors say Lau's SUV struck the bus stop after going more than 70 miles an hour. 

Lau was arrested at the scene for vehicular manslaughter, driving the wrong way, reckless driving and driving at an unsafe speed. She was hospitalized after the crash and quickly retained a lawyer. 

KTVU has reached out to the district attorney's office for comment on this case but has not heard back as of this writing.