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Family friend IDs victims in horrific San Francisco crash, calls for safety improvements at vigil
Family, friends and neighbors held a vigil Monday for the victims of a fatal car wreck that killed three family members leaving only an infant as the sole survivor with injuries. A 78-year-old driver was arrested in this case, but charges have not been filed pending more information from the police investigation.
SAN FRANCISCO - Flowers and candles lie at the scene of Saturday's deadly collision in San Francisco where a family of four were crashed into by an SUV at a bus stop in the West Portal neighborhood.
At a vigil for the victims Monday evening, a close friend of the family identified the family members who were killed as Diego Oliveira, a Brazilian citizen, his wife Matilde, and their toddler son Joaquin. Their six-month-old child, who remains in the hospital, was identified as Caue, the sole survivor of the collision. The father and the young child died at the scene. The mother died on Sunday.
The chief medical examiner on Tuesday confirmed the identities of the victims as those listed above.
San Francisco police arrested 78-year-old Mary Fong Lau on Sunday, saying she was behind the wheel of the white Mercedes SUV when it smashed into the bus shelter, hitting the people inside.
Jail records show Fong Lau was booked on suspicion of three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter, driving the wrong way, reckless driving and driving at an unsafe speed.
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Vigil held for family killed at San Francisco bus stop
Three members of a family died in the crash, and one 6-month old child is still being treated for their injuries. KTVUs Christien Kafton reports from San Francisco.
Efforts to reach her or her attorney on Monday were not immediately successful. As of Monday, she was not charged by the district attorney in the deadly crash that happened at 12:15 p.m. on Ulloa Street and Lennox Way.
Investigators are still looking to see if there was a medical issue that may have caused the driver to crash.
Monday afternoon, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she understands the immediate desire to know if charges will be filed, but that factors such as blood work to determine if the driver was intoxicated and mechanical investigations to see if the vehicle was operating normally, have to be completed. The D.A. said her office is in the process of receiving case information and evidence from SFPD.
Fong Lau was taken to a hospital following the crash.
KTVU briefly spoke with a relative of the driver who said that they are devastated by this incident and the driver's adult children flew into the Bay Area after hearing about the crash. They said so far, family members have not been able to visit her in the hospital. The man said he was the brother of Fong Lau and that he was not able to visit because of the criminal investigation. He said he has no idea what may have caused his sister to crash.
"We know that speed could have been a factor," said Officer Robert Rueca with SFPD. "We're looking at every aspect that could have led to this incident."
The crash is affecting investigators. Rueca said it's difficult for investigators to deal with this level of trauma.
Walk SF, a pedestrian safety advocacy group, helped organize a large 5 p.m. vigil for the victims at the scene of the crash. Hundreds attended. The group said this family's deaths represent the fifth, sixth and seventh people to die on a city street so far this year.
"Our whole city is grieving this and I think we should be," Walk SF's Marta Lindsey said. "Part of that is because so many of us are feeling how dangerous our streets are too often and that feeling that it could have been me, or it could have been any of us."
The advocacy group's executive director Jodie Madeiros witnessed neighbors hugging neighbors and crying with each other. "This is really rocking our community," she said. "We need to change how people drive in San Francisco. Speed is the number one thing that kills time after time."
Mayor London Breed and Police Chief Bill Scott attended the vigil to pay their resepcts.
"It's a sad day for the whole city," said a woman at the vigil named Eva. She didn't know that family, but was nearby when the crash happened. "I feel that I need to be here to show respect for the family and I hope that the infant will survive." She said her friend witnessed the crash. "She was very shaken up that day. She saw, you know, the car drove past her and hit the bus stop. It was very fast."
Dawn Starr, like so many at the vigil, was moved to offer support for the young family. She arrived at the scene with flowers and a stuffed animal.
"We can't feel their pain, but to let them know we're thinking of them. They're in our thoughts and prayers," she said.