An SUV driver reportedly ran a red light and crashed into a mother and her toddler on a bike at Geary Boulevard and 7th Avenue in the Inner Richmond at about 4 p.m. on Friday. The driver was reportedy headed westbound on Geary as the mother cycled southbound on 7th.
"People tried to honk at the driver to warn them what they were about to hit, but it was apparently too late," KPIX's Andrea Borba reported on Friday.
According to KPIX and the Richmond SF blog, the mother suffered a broken leg and the toddler appeared not to have sustained serious injuries. KPIX said a pediatrician happened to be on site and put the woman's ankle in a splint.
We haven't heard back yet from SFPD for updates on the victims' conditions, confirmation that the driver ran a red, and information on any citations issued to the driver.
"We are relieved that mother and child are on the mend," said SF Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Noah Budnick. "I hope Mayor Lee and Police Chief Suhr take this crash to heart and send a strong message to San Franciscans to pay attention and think twice when operating thousand-pound machines in our dense, people-rich urban environment."
Geary, a six-lane motorway, is one of the city's high-injury corridors, and speeding is common there. The Geary Bus Rapid Transit project will improve safety on the street, but that isn't expected to start construction until 2017. In addition to a center-running busway, the project calls for trimming Geary's six general traffic lanes would down to four and adding sidewalk bulb-outs at many intersections.
There were at least two bicycle crashes on Geary at 7th and 8th Avenues between 2012 and 2013, according to a map of SFPD data.
The latest crash "is another example of the culture of speeding and how we can’t wait any longer for street improvements to come to Geary," said D1 Supervisor Eric Mar. "We’re behind other cities that have implement slow zones and other physical changes to areas near schools, seniors, and other vulnerable populations. I wish the victims a speedy recovery and will continue to push for safer streets in the Richmond District and throughout the city."
Budnick said the crash also highlights the importance of the SFPD's "Focus on the Five" program, which targets the five most common violations that cause severe and fatal pedestrian and bicycle crashes, including red-light running. Richmond Station is the only one to have met the campaign's goals so far.
"Red light-running is epidemic in our city," said Budnick. "This is exactly why it's so important that the SF Police Department focus citations on the five most dangerous traffic behaviors. We can achieve Vision Zero -- ending all traffic fatalities and severe injuries -- but it will take action."
"It could be your wife or your child crossing the road," he added. "It is your neighbor."
