An arrest has been made in the hit-and-run collision early Thursday morning that left a homeless man dead.
65-year-old Oscar Matus of Lathrop, California was arrested Thursday after his truck was located on Broadway near Front Street about two hours after the collision. Matus is suspected of hitting the unidentified victim at the intersection of Mason and Eddy Streets at 5:42 a.m. The victim was then dragged by the big rig about two blocks to 5th and Market, where he was later found suffering life-threatening injuries. The truck proceeded down Market Street, as Hoodline reports, taking a (possibly illegal) left on Kearny, and ending up on Broadway.
ABC 7 reports that police had already caught up to the truck by the time it was on Broadway, and that officers pulled Matus over at that point. He answered questions from investigators there until noon Thursday, after which was was arrested and charged with one count of vehicular manslaughter and one count of failure to yield to a pedestrian.
LInk to more info on Terraba Trucking here: https://t.co/O7PTmfPiUs #abc7now pic.twitter.com/MpQhDhyD0O
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) July 18, 2019
Nothing is yet known about the victim except his age, 54, and the fact that he used a walker and "appeared to be homeless," per ABC 7.
The truck belongs to Stockton-based Terraba Trucking.
The Tenderloin, where this fatality took place, is ranked as one of the most dangerous areas in the city for pedestrians. And this was the 20th fatality in San Francisco's streets so far this year.
Writing on Twitter, District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney says, "That area is very confusing and dangerous. With lots of fast moving traffic and one way streets. We need changes across the TL, we’ve been working on them, but it needs to happen faster."
That area is very confusing and dangerous. With lots of fast moving traffic and one way streets. We need changes across the TL, we’ve been working on them, but it needs to happen faster.
— Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) July 18, 2019