A daytime shooting in South Beach neighborhood sent one man to the hospital with a chest wound and shut down Market Street in downtown for more than an hour Thursday afternoon after the victim and his driver tried to find help in the Financial District.

The shooting, which occurred just after 3:45 p.m. Thursday, happened in the first block of Bryant Street, near The Embarcadero. The victim was described by police as a man in his 30s.

The driver of the car, who was not wounded in the shooting, drove around looking for a hospital, according to police. He eventually flagged down a parking control officer and Mission and Main streets, asking for directions to a hospital, police said. The man continued driving to Market and Davis streets where he stopped, police said.

The shooting victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, according to San Francisco Police Lt. Greg Kane. It is not known if the victim in the car or outside the vehicle in South Beach when he was shot, Kane said.

Police said Thursday evening that his condition had improved and that he was expected to survive.

The driver of the car was taken to San Francisco Police’s Southern District for questioning. Police continue to investigate, Kane said. As of Thursday evening, the shooter, who was described only as a man, was not in custody.

A woman who works as a receptionist at Suchada Traditional Thai Massage, which is two doors down from the shooting, heard what she later realized was a single gunshot.

“I just got up to look… I was very surprised,” said the woman who did not want to be identified. “I thought, ‘It couldn’t be a gunshot, it can’t be around here.’”

The incident closed Market Street traffic for more than an hour as police processed the crime scene. Many passers-by were surprised to hear a shooting had occurred near downtown. Many were ordered off Muni lines stuck on Market because of the street closure. Others were trying to get home after work.

Ken Davis, visiting from Tempe, Ariz., was taking photographs of the F-Market Street car when he heard the commotion.

“I didn’t even notice the car until I saw the police and ambulance surround it,” Davis said.“I just hope no one is seriously injured.”

akoskey@sfexaminer.com
S.F. Examiner Staff Writer Chris Roberts contributed to this report.