SAN FRANCISCO—A pedestrian was struck early by a vehicle on Sunday, February 9, as they crossed the street near the Park Merced Apartments. The collision occurred around 3:15 a.m. as a red Toyota Prius collided with the unidentified man crossing at the intersection of 19th Avenue and Junipero Serra Boulevard.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, the driver remained on scene as the victim was transported to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The condition of the victim has not been updated and it is currently unknown if the driver was arrested.
The San Francisco News reached out for an update about the incident, but did not hear back before print.
During daytime hours, the intersection bustles as 19th Avenue crosses the eight lanes of traffic from Junipero Serra Boulevard—effectively passing the torch to continue California’s Highway 1—transforming from a highway to a residential road. The intersection features crosswalks through Junipero Serra Blvd. and 19th Ave., where pedestrians who jaywalk risk being in the bottleneck of the highway.
Vision Zero, established by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) consolidated with city officials in 2014 with “the goal of eliminating traffic deaths in San Francisco.” They reported around 30 deaths and over 500 serious injuries every year “while traveling on city streets” in San Francisco.
The intersection lies in what they call a “High Injury Network,” a small part of the 13 percent of streets Vision Zero deems responsible for as much as 75 percent of traffic deaths and severe injuries. Some progress has been made to increase pedestrian and bike safety, the most notable being the ban of private vehicles on Market Street. The program has actions laid out for years to include more pedestrian countdown signals and multi-lingual guides for walkers and bikers alike.
