The driver and suspected culprit in the deadly accident at 8 a.m. New Year's morning at 21st and South Van Ness has been identified as 19-year-old David Morales. Morales is in custody both for two charges of vehicular manslaughter and two counts of attempted murder.
The attempted murder charges come from the inciting incident in this tragedy, in which Morales is believed to have shot at three people in a drive by Tuesday morning at the Valencia Gardens housing complex at 14th and Guerrero. Morales's vehicle was quickly spotted by police nearby, leading to the brief chase in which Morales sped off and crashed into another vehicle at 21st and South Van Ness, killing a passenger in the vehicle as well as a pedestrian.
That pedestrian was identified yesterday as 26-year-old Francisco Gutierrez, and a small memorial has sprung up outside the liquor store where he was killed.
The 29-year-old female passenger killed in the vehicle has not been publicly identified. The driver of that car was also critically injured and remained hospitalized.
Morales is said to be a gang member and a person already known to the SFPD before the incident occurred.
Previously: Two People Killed In Morning Crash at 21st and South Van Ness
