The elderly driver who allegedly crashed into a Chinatown building while parallel parking last month, killing one person and injuring another, was arrested for vehicular manslaughter Friday, and it turns out he crashed into the building from across the street.

The San Francisco Police Department announced Friday that 76-year-old Zhuo Ming Lu was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and driving at a speed greater than is reasonable in connection to the crash. As SFist previously reported, the collision occurred on the morning of March 27 near Grant Avenue and Jackson Street when the driver allegedly jumped the curb while parallel parking and crashed into New Lung Ting Cafe, also known as Pork Chop House.

Forty-nine-year-old pedestrian, Cutberto Zamora, a San Joaquin County resident who was in the neighborhood installing flooring in a nearby apartment, was killed, and another pedestrian was injured. Zamora was declared dead at the hospital, and the other victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

KTVU reported at the time that Lu was parking across from the scene of the collision before allegedly losing control and crossing the street directly into the restaurant.

"The gentleman was trying to park in a parking spot and lost control of his vehicle, drove across the street and unfortunately hit two folks on the sidewalk," said Capt. Christopher Del Gandio of the SFPD Central Station.

As the Chronicle reports, a GoFundMe has been set up for Zamora’s family.

Zamora’s death was the seventh pedestrian death in San Francisco in three months. The hit-and-run death in SoMa on Monday marked the city’s eighth pedestrian death in four months.

Additionally, the crash occurred less than a week following the sentencing of 80-year-old Mary Fong Lau in the 2024 deaths of Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, his wife, Matilde Pinto, and their two children at a West Portal bus stop. Many believed the sentence was too lenient, as Lau managed to dodge jail time and house arrest.

While Lau also avoided having to take the stand during the criminal trial by pleading “no contest,” she will be required to face relatives of the victims during the civil case, which was initiated last year and can now move forward following the conclusion of the criminal case.

The investigation remains active, and anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 1-415-575-4444 or Text-A-Tip to TIP411, beginning the message with “SFPD.”

Image: Citizen

A 76-year-old driver allegedly jumped the curb while parking and smashed into a building in SF’s Chinatown Friday, striking two people, one of whom may have been a construction worker. One person died at the hospital, and the other is in serious condition.

The incident occurred around 7:45 am Friday on the 600 block of Jackson Street, near Beckett Street, when a 76-year-old driver crashed into New Lun Ting Café while attempting to park, as KRON4 reports.

A Citizen report said police confirmed the crash was fatal at 8:26 am, but news outlets reported the person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries where they later died. The other person is reportedly in serious condition. According to KGO, witnesses believe a construction worker may have been one of the people struck by the vehicle.

Person Fatally Struck by Silver SUV That Jumped Curb @CitizenApp

Grant Ave & Jackson St 7:45:37 AM PDT

KRON4 reports that the driver remained at the scene, and alcohol or drugs are not suspected.

This marks the seventh pedestrian death in San Francisco in three months.

Related: Man Killed By 38-Geary Bus Near SF's Union Square After Apparent Fall Into Street

Image: Citizen

Elderly driver Mary Lau will have to explain what happened in the 2024 West Portal crash that killed a family of four in two civil lawsuits filed by relatives of the family last year, and jurors will determine monetary damages, following Lau’s sentence in criminal court last Friday.

As SFist reported last week, following Mary Fong Lau's sentencing in San Francisco Superior Court last Friday, relatives of the victims may now proceed with two civil lawsuits filed last year, as KGO reports.

During the civil cases, which were intitiated by the families in 2025, Lau will be required to take the stand and explain the circumstances leading up to the collision that killed Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, Matilde Pinto, and their two sons, Joaquin and Caue — unlike during the criminal case where Lau avoided trial.

In February, Lau changed her plea of “not guilty” to “no contest,” allowing the court to treat her as guilty, without admitting guilt, and waiving her right to a criminal trial, which enabled her to skip taking the stand.

“She will not be able to invoke her fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination because the criminal case is over,” David Levine, Professor at the University of California College of the Law in San Francisco, told KGO. “There’s no risk that she will be charged criminally for that, so she can’t hide behind that anymore.”

Levine told KGO that Lau’s “no contest” plea in the criminal case will drag the civil cases out longer because the plaintiff’s attorneys will need to go through all of the evidence with the jury before a determination is made since Lau was never found guilty.

Following the judge's decision in the criminal case last Friday, community members and relatives of the victims said Lau’s sentence was too lenient for someone who recklessly plowed into a family of four at 70 miles per hour after veering in-and-out of oncoming traffic. As previously reported, the sentence consisted of two years of probation, 200 hours of mandatory community service, and having her license revoked for three years.

“We believe it’s a slap on the wrist for somebody who took four lives, but in the civil case, we’re going to try to hold her accountable based on civil liability, which measures to figure out what is a fair resolution,” Jim Quadra, attorney for the victims’ families, told KGO (in the above segment).

Lau has been accused of hiding wealth by transferring millions of dollars of real estate assets and cash out of her name during the criminal proceedings. Quadra told KGO his team is still investigating the total amount of funds that were moved out of her account and how to track it all down.

The jurors in the civil suits will now determine the damages based on arguments from the attorneys, but the family is currently focused on accountability.

Previously: Elderly Driver Who Killed Family of Four in 2024 West Portal Crash Avoids Jail Time

Image: Livable City

A San Francisco judge sentenced the elderly driver who killed a young family of four in West Portal in 2024 to two years of probation, 200 hours of mandatory community service, and revoked her license for three years, and family members our outraged by the light sentence.

Family members expressed outrage Friday after San Francisco Superior Court Judge Bruce Chan sentenced Mary Fong Lau, 80, to two years of probation, 200 hours of community service, and revoked her license for three years in the 2024 West Portal crash that killed a family of four.

Family members, who had pushed for jail time — or one year of home detention, at minimum — said the judge's light sentence left them feeling ignored and disrespected, as KPIX reports.

“The consequences … for her actions are not a true match for the size of the tragedy,” Oliveira’s sister, Denise Oliveira, told KRON4.

As SFist reported last month, Lau changed her plea from "not guilty" to "no contest" to four counts of vehicular manslaughter in February.

Prosecutors said Lau struck and killed Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, his wife, Matilde Pinto, their 1-year-old baby, Joaquin, and 2-month-old infant, Caue, while driving at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, veering into oncoming traffic, then crashing into the bus shelter where the family was waiting for the bus, as SFist reported at the time.

In their victim impact statements Friday, family members described the aftermath of the crash, as KQED reports, including the decision to remove baby Caue from life support so his organs could be donated to other children.

“Diego and his family were simply going to the zoo on a Sunday morning,” Oliveira’s sister said, per KRON4, “celebrating their anniversary.”

Lau, who listened through an interpreter for most of the hearing, stood and faced the victims’ family, apologizing and bowing as she said, “Sorry” multiple times.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also said the sentence lacked accountability for the deaths.

"Each and every day, we have judges who decide that they don't want to trust the process in and of itself, that they'd rather take justice into their own hands and determine what that looks like,” said Jenkins, per KPIX. “And in this case, that is not what this family is receiving due to this open plea to the court. And so, at this point, our hands are tied.”

The judge cited Lau’s age, lack of a criminal record, and her expressions of remorse.

Authorities said it remains unclear why Lau crashed into the bus shelter. Investigators determined she wasn’t using her phone or under the influence, and she didn’t experience a medical emergency, as KPIX reports. No mechanical issues with the SUV were found that could explain the acceleration.

In a previous statement, per KRON4, the victims’ family described the couple as warm, loving parents devoted to their two young sons. Pinto, who was born in Portugal, and Oliveira, originally from Brazil, married in 2020 and later moved from the United Kingdom to San Francisco, where Pinto worked as a film and advertising producer and Oliveira was a creative director at Apple.

A final restitution payment, expected to range from about $67,000 to nearly $300,000, per KQED, will be determined at a later date.

As SFist reported Friday, family members hosted a vigil Thursday honoring the family.

Image: Livable City

Previously: Driver In West Portal Crash That Killed Family of Four Pleads No Contest, Judge Sounds Lenient

A potential catastrophic collision was narrowly avoided in Fairfield Monday when authorities pulled over a disoriented elderly driver on I-80 who was filmed driving the wrong way, passing oncoming traffic within feet, and the CHP is spreading the word about its senior driver education class.

As KRON4 reports, the California Highway Patrol responded to reports of a wrong-way driver on I-80 in Fairfield around 5:50 pm Monday. The below video footage from the CHP shows the driver traveling within feet of oncoming traffic in the westbound express lane.

CHP and Fairfield police officers blocked traffic and safely pulled over the driver, which was also caught on video.

“Officers determined the elderly female driver was confused and disoriented after contacting her,” CHP wrote on social media. “She was safely reunited with her family.”

Authorities will be reviewing the woman’s driving status, but no further details were provided.

The CHP urges drivers 65 and older to take part in the agency’s senior driver education class, called “Age Well, Drive Smart,” on driving safely as we age and how to conduct self-assessments.

“What could have been a serious crash was safely prevented due to the phenomenal teamwork and coordination by CHP and FPD,” wrote the Solano County CHP. “This incident serves as a reminder that driving needs can change over time.”

Image: Screenshot/CHP Solano

An elderly man in a wheelchair was fatally stabbed aboard a Muni bus in SF’s Bayview District near the edge of Bernal Heights on Sunday afternoon. The suspect was arrested nearby and is now in custody.

As SFGate reports, the attack occurred around 4:35 pm near Bayshore Boulevard and Cortland Avenue, just outside the Bernal Heights neighborhood.

According to police, an altercation broke out on the bus shortly before the stabbing. The victim, who was seated in a wheelchair, was found by responding officers with a life-threatening stab wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and later died from his injuries, according to KGO.

The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Daniel Garcia, allegedly fled on foot after the bus pulled over. Officers later found him hiding behind parked vehicles in the area and took him into custody. Garcia was booked into San Francisco County Jail on charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse, as reported by KRON4. He is being held without bail.

A witness posted details of the account on Reddit:

Comment
byu/Dry-Season-522 from discussion
insanfrancisco

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) issued a statement condemning the violence and expressing sympathy for the victim’s loved ones. “Yesterday’s senseless act of violence is tragic, and our hearts are with the victim and their loved ones,” the agency said. “Criminal activity of any kind will never be tolerated on Muni.”

Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from the bus and nearby businesses. SFMTA has not confirmed which route was involved, though the 9, 9R, and 23 lines operate in the area.

This marks the second stabbing on public transit in the Bayview District in recent months. In March, a woman suffered life-threatening injuries after being stabbed aboard a Muni light rail train on 3rd Street.

Anyone with information about the attack is urged to call the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411, starting the message with “SFPD.”

Image: Dllu/Wikimedia

Previously: Woman Stabbed In the Neck on Muni Train In SF's Bayview

A Daly City-based senior care provider called Serving Seniors.Care had been hiring caretakers with criminal records, with the unsurprising result that one of them allegedly stole thousands of dollars from an elderly man.

If you are going to work in an elderly person’s home with a licensed caregiver organization, you must receive a clearance from the California Department of Social Services. That process requires fingerprinting and a criminal background check, and if you have a criminal record, you are not going to pass that background check.  

We bring this up because the Chronicle reports today that a Daly City-based in-home caregiving organization for seniors, Serving Seniors.Care, has been fined $100,000 for placing people with criminal backgrounds in seniors’ homes. The company, whose headquarters is in Serramonte Plaza, neglected to perform the required clearances on their workers, and state law forbids people with criminal records from working as in-home care aides.

Their hiring of workers with a criminal past came with the expected result. One of their in-home aides allegedly stole thousands of dollars from an elderly man in Palo Alto, and a state investigation turned up that another aide had also stolen thousands from a home-care client.  

“Families trust home care organizations to follow the law when they hire employees,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a press release. “Placing strangers into homes without a background check or screening puts elderly and disabled citizens in harm’s way.”

That statement adds that Serving Seniors.Care “allegedly made false statements on its website and in its client agreements that its aides were properly screened.”

The $100,000 fine was levied for having provided false advertising and engaging in unfair competition. The company was also ordered to comply with state record-keeping and compliance acts.

Any home caregiver’s status can be checked automatically in the State of California home care aide database. All you need to check whether the caregiver is fully licensed is the caregiver’s first and last name, and their Personnel (PER) ID number.

Related: Bay Area Nursing Home Could Lose State License After Investigation into Elderly Residents Dying by Poison Last Summer [SFist]

Image: Google Street View

The San Francisco Police Department is asking for help in finding Keu Thang, 89, an at-risk elderly woman, who went missing on Saturday evening at about 7 p.m. Thang suffers from medical and mental disabilities that require medical attention and may be in the early stages of dementia, police officials said. She also takes medication for high blood pressure.

Police said she often frequents Pier 39 and the Financial District. Thang is described as an Asian woman, standing 5 feet 2 inches tall, with brown eyes and gray hair. She was last seen wearing a burgundy overcoat with a black hood and possibly a green fanny pack.

Anyone with information are asked to call San Francisco police at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411.

[Bay City News/Examiner]

Jesuit priest Stephen Kelly, 62, of Oakland, and Sister Anne Montgomery, 84, of Redwood City, were among a group of five senior peace demonstrators who were sentenced to federal prison in Tacoma, Washington, today. The group were all convicted of conspiracy, trespass, and destruction of government property in December and were facing up to ten years in prison for cutting through fences at Bangor Base on November 2, 2009, to get to an area containing ten Ohio-class submarines.

The protesters had put up banners near the bunkers, sprinkled blood on the ground, scattered sunflower seeds, and prayed until they were arrested. Father Kelly was sentenced to 15 months in prison and was ordered to be taken to prison immediately. The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle, was going to allow the other defendants to report to prison next month, but they were also taken to prison immediately when they told him they might not show up. Sister Montgomery got two months in prison and four months home monitoring.

Settle praised the group's humanitarian work, but he had to "send a message" regarding the trespassing and property damage charges. The protesters were prohibited from using international law and the lethality of nuclear weapons as a defense.

Oh jeez. At the risk of sounding ageist, a 90-year-old man is responsible for this early AM scene in Glen Park. Why? Because he's a 90-YEAR-OLD MAN DRIVING A CAR.

Glen Park News reports that at around 9 a..m this morning an elderly man lost control of his Acura as he was coming down Thor Avenue, taking out two fences and dropping into the backyard of 2780 Diamond.

The old man was hospitalized. No word yet on his condition.

A crane has been called in to lift the car out of the yard.

Also, why was this person even driving at his frail age? Driving anywhere at the ripe age of 90 is, arguably, dangerous; but in Glen Park, where kids are hopped up on Sunny-D and frolicking around like tiny people gone mad, it's especially egregious.

Let's get this over with.

Last week's pathetic challenge still hung in the air this week with the designers discussing Carmen's exit, and Chris proposing a "Project Runway" fragrance that would be a mixture of tears, sweat, and Chinese food. Can't be any worse than the odors Paris Hilton has been hawking. After some stuff with the models that was a bit confusing and boring, Heidi told the designers Tim was waiting for them in the work room and he wasn't alone. He had a familiar face with him, and she had some old friends with her. Sweet P immediately suspected they'd be designing clothes for senior citizens, which had us pondering just how the clothing needs of the elderly might differ from those of, say, the middle aged. More Velcro? Elastic waist bands? Alas, we may never know, as it turned out Nina Garcia was the familiar face, and she told the designers they were going to incorporate outdated fashion trends into modern apparel.