West Portal crash: 78-year-old woman arrested after 3 family members die at San Francisco bus stop

SAN FRANCISCO - A 78-year-old woman has been arrested on a litany of suspected charges after three members of the same family died when her SUV crashed into them over the weekend at the West Portal Muni bus stop in San Francisco.

At a vigil for the victims Monday evening, a close friend of the family identified the family members as Diego Oliveira, a Brazilian citizen and the husband to Matilde, who both died in the crash, along with their toddler Joaquin. Their baby in the hospital was identified as Caue. 

"This incident was a heartbreaking tragedy," San Francisco police said in a statement, adding that the department "offers its deepest condolences to the victims, their families and loved ones, and everyone at the scene who witnessed and assisted first responders."

Jail records show that Mary Fong Lau was booked Sunday on suspicion of three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter, driving the wrong way, reckless driving and driving at an unsafe speed. 

Efforts to reach her or her attorney on Monday morning were not immediately successful. 

As of Monday, she was not charged by the District Attorney, as the deadly crash happened Saturday after noon. 

A man who identified himself as the driver's brother, didn't want to go on camera, but he said he is devastated by what happened.

He said he tried to visit his sister at the hospital after the crash, but was told he could not talk to her because of the criminal investigation.

He has no idea what may have caused his sister to crash.

Three pairs of shoes mark the deadly site, where passersby have been leaving flowers and stuffed animals. 

Members of Walk SF and neighbors said the people who died at the scene were a father and the young child. The mother died at the hospital and their baby is the only survivor but is in critical condition, officials and neighbors said. 

The driver was initially hospitalized as well.

Police on Monday said Lau was traveling eastbound on Ulloa Street when she crashed into a bus stop at the intersection of Ulloa Street and Lenox Way. But they aren't sure yet what caused the white Mercedes SUV to hop the curb and crash not just into the bus stop area but continue on, to crash into a pole, fire hydrant, and into the side of the West Portal branch library. 

Glen Harvey, a neighbor, said he was walking his dog when he heard a horn.

"And then this almighty loud 'boom." I mean it was, you know, people say like a bomb going off. This one was sort of like that." 

Sandra Osorio, another neighbor, said she feels for what she believes was an entire family. 

"It's been destroyed," she said. 

Safety advocates are now calling for change. 

In a statement this weekend, supervisor Myrna Melgar said: "My office along with SFMTA, public works, and neighbors have already been in discussions to improve safety conditions for pedestrians and riders around the West Portal station.  The trauma and impact of this incident are immeasurable."

San Francisco police say traffic engineering was not a factor in this crash.

But Walk SF members said SFMTA needs to step up its plans to add speed cameras throughout the city to make the roads safer.

Neighbor Fatima Rea said the area is always busy with cars and pedestrian traffic, including students from Washington High School and the nearby elementary schools. 

"When you walk down the street you just kinda hope they let you pass," Rea said of the cars. 

Walk SF held a well-attended 5 p.m. vigil at the site of the crash on Monday. Flowers and candles lie at the scene. 

KTVU's Zak Sos contributed to this report.