A San Francisco sheriff’s cadet is being held in jail on $1 million bail for suspected involvement in a hit-and-run accident that killed a pedestrian in the North of Panhandle neighborhood.
The sheriff’s cadet is accused of hitting a pedestrian in his 60s at the intersection of Masonic Avenue and Turk Boulevard around 2:30am on Friday, May 6. According to CBS News San Francisco, the driver – who was off-duty at the time – hit the pedestrian, did not stop and attempted to drive away, hitting at least four parked cars before slamming into concrete planters in front of St. Mary’s Hospital. Law enforcement officials arrested the sheriff’s cadet at the hospital, and he now faces charges of hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence.
The hit-and-run pedestrian accident occurred in an area known to be dangerous to pedestrians. People living along the Masonic Avenue corridor have long sought safety improvements to the street, and CBS News San Francisco reports that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is considering redesigning Masonic Avenue to have a boulevard layout with a center median and bike lanes on both sides.
Pedestrians injured in car accidents are not without recourse. If a driver injures a pedestrian in a crash, the injured person may be able to sue the driver for negligence in a personal-injury lawsuit. If a judge or jury determines that the driver acted without reasonable care, causing the accident and the pedestrian’s injuries as a result, the pedestrian may recover damages from the at-fault driver to help cover the cost of medical treatment and lost wages as well as other expenses related to the accident.
