Elderly man killed at busy intersection
By: Brent Begin
Examiner Staff Writer
December 15, 2008
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| Police officers investigate the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident at Geary Boulevard and Wester Street on Sunday. (Cindy Chew/The Examiner) |
SAN FRANCISCO — An elderly man crossing a busy Japantown intersection where pedestrians often ignore a no-crossing sign died Sunday after he was hit by a Honda Civic.
Police arrived at the intersection of Geary Boulevard and Webster Street about 2:30 p.m. to find a grisly scene. The man, whose name and age were not released, was thrown about 20 yards from where he was hit. His walker remained in the street at the point of impact.
The man crossed against a red light and at an intersection without a crosswalk, according to police Capt. Richard Correia. The woman driving the Honda Civic had a green light, but police remained at the scene for hours to determine whether speed or rain played a role in the death.
“At this point, it looks like he was hit where he shouldn’t have been crossing, but we’re not leaving anything to chance,” Correia said.
A single walkway bridge over Geary Boulevard is the only place for pedestrians to cross the street. Signs are posted at the four corners of the intersection alerting pedestrians that they are not allowed to cross, but many in the area said the warnings are ignored.
Whether it is to catch a bus or to get groceries at the nearby Safeway, many residents and workers cross the street illegally. Even as investigators worked at the scene, at least two couples tried to cross the boulevard despite warnings from police.
Pedestrian bridges are oftentimes a difficult route to take for the elderly and disabled, said Manish Champsee, president of the pedestrian advocacy group Walk San Francisco.
Solutions include placing a pedestrian island in the middle of the boulevard and lowering the speed limit, Champsee said, adding that the Geary corridor is in the top four of San Francisco roadways with the most pedestrian injuries. The neighborhood around Japantown has boomed in recent years, with apartment buildings and neighborhood services sprouting up on both sides of Geary Boulevard, but the design of the intersection has not changed, said neighborhood resident Vanita Louie.
“Even for a healthy person, it’s a long way to cross,” Louie said. “And it’s not very clear if you’re allowed to or not.”
Fuad Dughman, the 71-year-old owner of nearby Fillmore Fine Foods, said he never takes his chances crossing the street where the man was killed. He prefers to cross on Fillmore Street, and he does so carefully.
“Always when I cross the streets here, I run,” he said.
Vehicles vs. pedestrians
Recent accidents in The City involving people and automobiles.
Sunday: An elderly man was killed about 2:30 p.m. at Geary Boulevard and Webster Street
Wednesday: A 53-year-old man was taken to the hospital with a head injury after an altercation with a motorist near Golden Gate Park.
Dec. 5: Gerardo Yambao, 52, was struck and killed in what authorities said was a hit-and-run at the intersection of Lake Merced Boulevard and Brotherhood Way. A 32-year-old San Francisco man was arrested Wednesday in connection with the accident.
