An accident in a controlled intersection in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood claimed the life of a 59-year-old Mission District man last week. The San Francisco pedestrian accident occurred around 9:30 a. Tuesday. Authorities say the pedestrian accident victim was taken to San Francisco General Hospital where he died just hours after the accident.
The accident occurred at the intersection of Noe and 14th Streets. That intersection includes stop signs in all directions. The intersection also has crosswalks for pedestrians. Law enforcement opened an investigation into the fatal crash. It remains unclear from news reports whether the pedestrian accident victim was using the crosswalk at the time of the crash.
The victim was familiar with the neighborhood. Authorities say the man was a regular in the area, and well-liked by neighborhood residents.
The pedestrian accident victim reportedly relied on hearing aids. Law enforcement has not yet determined whether the victim’s condition was a factor in the accident.
The man reportedly was struck by a Ford Explorer as he crossed the intersection. Police say the SUV driver stopped after the accident and is cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation of the fatal accident.
Pedestrians are extremely vulnerable in automobile versus pedestrian accidents, as this story illustrates. It is obvious that individuals are no match for the size and mass of a moving motor vehicle, even in accidents that occur at relatively slow speeds. The trauma from an impact and the chance that a pedestrian can be dragged or further run over during an incident with a vehicle place pedestrians in great danger.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, “Pedestrian killed in S.F.’s Duboce Triangle,” Justin Berton, Sept. 8, 2011
