An elderly San Francisco cyclist was recently run over by a MUNI bus which lacked a critical safety feature designed to prevent such deaths.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the bus which hit and killed 78-year-old Cheng Jin Lai did not have an S-1 Gard, also called a “people catcher,” which is designed to push people who fall under a bus away from the bus’s wheels.
“The S-1 Gard is not a regulatory requirement, but it is something that we outfit our fleet with,” MUNI spokesman Paul Rose told reporters.
Authorities say that Lai was hit by the right side of the bus around 8:45 a.m. at the intersection of Bryant and 11th Streets.
Emergency crews pronounced the cyclist dead at the scene.
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Leah Shahum called the missing S-1 Gard a “terrible thing to hear.”
The SF Bike Coalition recently held a demonstration to pressure the mayor’s office to make San Francisco a more bike-friendly place.
The Dolan Law Firm handles traffic accident cases in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. If you or a loved one has been injured in a traffic accident, call 415-636-8160.
