SFPD says female driver who struck two boys this am on Bay St.- charged with DUI. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/up7S4yq8Vu
— Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) November 4, 2015
The arrest of Kirsten Andereck, the Seacliff resident who allegedly struck and seriously injured two kids Wednesday while (again, allegedly) driving under the influence inspired more than one person to suggest that her social status would protect her from punishment. But if the charges she's facing are any indication, things might not be that easy for the 30-year-old debutante.
I'm sure you're familiar with our earlier report: Two Marina Middle School kids were in the crosswalk at Bay and Buchanan when, according to police, Kirsten Andereck whipped her SUV past the truck that had stopped to allow them to cross and struck them both, sending the children flying over 40 feet.
Andereck was arrested at the scene, and booked on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Both kids continue to recover from head and leg trauma at San Francisco General Hospital. They are expected to survive.
According to a tweet from the San Francisco District Attorney's office posted Thursday afternoon, Andereck has been officially charged with two felony drunk-driving counts, with one of those regarding the causation of great bodily injury. She also faces two counts of child endangerment with enhancements of allegations of great bodily injury.
... Kristen Anderick is out on $230,000 bail. #SFDA @SFDAOffice
— Maxwell Szabo (@maxxszabo) November 6, 2015
(It's worth noting that it's the latter charges that might pose the most significant issues for Andereck, who until recently worked at Cow Hollow School as a teacher.)
As you can see from a subsequent tweet from DA's office spokesperson Max Szabo, Andereck is free on $230,000 bail. She is expected to appear in court next week.
Meanwhile, according to ABC7, stop signs will be added to the intersection next week.
As previously reported, safety improvements were expected last year on the stretch of road where the kids were struck, which residents say is notorious for fast speeds and unsafe conditions. However, unspecified SFMTA delays have kept that construction from moving forward.
Until then, the city has placed a crossing guard equipped with "a yellow vest with lighted glow sticks" at the crossing, in hopes that further collisions will be prevented.
"I've asked people to slow down," a resident told ABC7.
"This area is 25 miles per hour. Frequently I see people driving at least 40 miles an hour. They're trying to get to work, I understand that, but at the same time, they need to understand we like to walk around our city."
Previously: Alleged Drunk Driving Debutante Arrested After Critically Injuring Kids In Crosswalk