Updated 6:57 p.m.
A man was killed on Saturday evening by a taxi driver who allegedly ran a red light at Eddy and Larkin Streets, the Bay City News reported as published by SF Appeal this morning. He is the eleventh known pedestrian killed this year in San Francisco.
According to the SF Chronicle, Edmund Capalla, 38, was crossing the street just before 7 p.m. when the driver ran a red light, was struck by another driver entering the intersection, and slammed into him. Cappalla was taken to San Francisco General Hospital where he died of his injuries. "Police are continuing their investigation and will pass the results on to the District Attorney's office which will decide what charges, if any, will be filed against the cab driver," according to the Chronicle.
Despite that stretch of Eddy being converted to a two-way street in April, which helped calm motor traffic, the Tenderloin continues to see some of the highest rates of pedestrian injuries in the city.
"If you look at the maps that we have of where the most injuries occur to people walking, the Tenderloin is a real hot spot," said Walk SF Executive Director Elizabeth Stampe. "We need to see a renewed conviction from the city to making improvements that save lives."
In February, a driver was caught on video running over a man in a crosswalk at Eddy and Leavenworth Streets, two blocks away. The driver was only cited after a show of outrage from pedestrian advocates, and will apparently not face charges since the victim didn't die.
Assuming the preliminary reports regarding this latest crash are correct, more traffic calming measures and traffic enforcement are clearly needed to curb the amount of dangerous speeding and other violations committed by drivers in the neighborhood.
As information becomes available, we'll follow up with more details on the crash and any charges that may stem from it.
