When a 3-ton pickup truck slammed into an elderly woman in SoMa this month, it was not just a horrific crash — it was evidence of an increasingly deadly trend in San Francisco.
Six pedestrians have died in car crashes this year, and all but one were over the age of 75. They were fathers, mothers, and grandparents; a retired newspaper staffer, a cook, and an avid runner.
The rash of accidents underscores a deadly reality. San Franciscans age 65 and older are more than twice as likely to be killed by cars while walking than younger residents, an analysis of city data by The Standard found.
And as San Francisco recovers from 2024 — the deadliest year for pedestrians since 2007 — transit advocates are raising the alarm.
“Everyone deserves to be safe while crossing the street,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco. “How many children, parents, siblings, and loved ones need to die before our city’s leaders prioritize unsafe streets?”
Human toll
The worst part of the May 1 crash in SoMa may be how mundane the scene was. In a video captured by a security camera, people and cars milled about the intersection that afternoon.
To a casual observer, it might not have been obvious when things went wrong.
The driver of a pickup truck slowly turning left onto one-way Howard Street appeared not to notice a woman and her small dog using the crosswalk. The truck struck her, then its front wheel appeared to drag her, tumbling, as a back wheel slammed into her, jerking the truck upward. The woman and dog died at the scene.
The victim was Annabella Gabriel Barquera, 75, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Her stepson Michael Barquera Jr. described her as a “sweetheart,” an “excellent cook,” a devoted family member, and a helpful neighbor who did clothing alterations for friends.
“This particular intersection — there’ve been accidents before,” said Barquera, a retired Florida sheriff’s deputy. “I want to see exactly how this intersection is set up and how it can be improved. I don’t want anyone to have to go through this again.”
A 26-year-old cyclist died in a hit-and-run at the intersection in 2016.
Barquera said he’s waiting for a police report about the incident. His stepmother’s death isn’t the only one that hasn’t been resolved.
Charles Bollinger, 81, was killed Jan. 4 in a hit-and-run while walking in Portola near Silver Avenue and Colby Street. His son, Nigel Bollinger, said he still doesn’t know who killed his father.
Bollinger described his father as a “mellow” man who “was just a pleasant person to know.” The longtime Bay Area resident spent most of his career laying out ads for the San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Chronicle before retiring some 20 years ago.
“He was very kind, and I miss him greatly,” Bollinger said. “He was my best friend for sure.”
The other pedestrians killed this year were Yong Sun Lewis, 77, who died Jan. 28 from a hit-and-run crash at Carter Street and Geneva Avenue; Yan Yan, 77, who died March 27 after an accident at Geary Boulevard and 39th Avenue; Mary Naito, 86, who died April 25 after being struck by a hit-and-run driver at Fillmore and McAllister streets; and an unidentified 47-year-old who died Monday at Bayshore Boulevard and Jerrold Avenue.
An online obituary described Lewis as a kind and patient aunt who worked as a customs specialist, was an avid runner, and moonlighted as a part-time chef in the Inner Sunset. She was born in North Korea but fled to the south during the war there, then moved to the U.S.
“Stubborn in her ways but always ready to sacrifice for others, she was the person everyone could count on,” the obituary says.
The Standard was unable to contact relatives of the other victims.
“It just happened so unexpectedly,” Nigel said of his father’s death. “He went for walks regularly by himself. It was the last thing I thought I needed to warn him about. I was constantly warning him about scams and all of that.”
‘What can you do?’
When an elderly pedestrian is hit by a car in San Francisco, they are nearly four times as likely to die than somebody younger, according to an analysis of roughly 79,000 traffic deaths and injuries in San Francisco since 2015.
That has contributed to a stark imbalance. Residents 65 and older account for more than 2 in 5 pedestrians killed by cars, though they represent fewer than 1 in 5 residents of San Francisco.
Crucially, while they’re more likely to die, they aren’t more likely to be struck by a car in the first place. Since 2015, seniors made up 17% of all pedestrian crashes in the city — including those involving minor injuries — despite accounting for 19% of the population.
“This is not new,” said Medeiros. “People are feeling that San Francisco streets right now do not feel safe and calm.”
Mia Satya, a transit justice organizer with Senior & Disability Action, said this year’s slew of fatal crashes has seniors on edge.
“We used to hear that they were afraid to go out at night,” Satya said. “Now it seems like folks are more afraid to walk during the day and are often feeling more comfortable walking when they have a friend or community worker with them.”
Many seniors who live near the sites of this year’s traffic deaths said they don’t plan to change their habits, though. Instead, they seem to accept the fact that walking in the city is dangerous.
Dan Lan, 85, was taking a walk “for my good health” on a Monday afternoon in Sunnydale, just across the street from the site of the crash that killed Lewis.
“If you’re a senior citizen like I am, you’ve got to be extra careful,” Lan said. “That’s why you’ve got to look right and left everywhere. Unfortunately, that’s the way it is.”
Lorna Majie, 66, lives in Portola near where Bollinger was struck. She said she frequently sees people speeding down Silver Avenue, a busy thoroughfare that cuts through an otherwise quiet neighborhood.
The crash was saddening, she said, but it didn’t make her feel unsafe walking in her neighborhood.
“Sometimes, drivers do illegal things,” Majie said. “I’m not scared.”
Cary Jones, 77, lives near Majie and agreed with the sentiment. He said he frequently walks in the neighborhood with his wife and grandson.
“I’m pretty careful, so what can you do?” Jones said. “Older people are sometimes not as aware. They’re slow.”