Two Cyclists Killed In Separate Hit-And-Runs Wednesday Evening [Updated]

Two Cyclists Killed In Separate Hit-And-Runs Wednesday Evening [Updated]The scene at Seventh and Howard on Wednesday evening. (Photo: Mark Choey/Twitter)
Nuala Sawyer
Published on June 23, 2016

Two separate hit-and-run incidents this evening resulted in the death of two female cyclists.

A woman was hit on her bicycle in SoMa this evening, at the intersection of 7th and Howard streets. SFPD Officer Manfredi told KRON that the incident occurred around 8:30pm, after a driver ran a red light and hit the cyclist. The car and suspect were apprehended fleeing the scene. 

Photo: Debora Villalon/Twitter

Prior to that event, reports began coming in on Twitter that a female cyclist was hit and killed in Golden Gate Park, also by a driver who fled the scene. According to The ChronicleRichmond SFPD Station reported that the cyclist was hit around 6pm near the intersection of John F. Kennedy Drive and 25th Avenue.

In contrast, NBC states that cyclist was closer to the 30th Avenue intersection, and was hit around 6:45pm. The vehicle was rumored to traveling between 50 and 60 miles per hour when the victim was hit. The car was apparently located, but a search for the driver is still underway. 

On Reddit, a witness stated that they "heard the impact and then saw the cyclist fly twenty feet in the air as the car continued at a high speed without a pause. Other witnesses at the scene said it swerved around another car and hit the cyclist head on in the opposing lane."

These mark the 14th and 15th bicyclists killed in the last five years, according to one ongoing memorial page.

We'll post updates on both situations as information becomes available. In the meantime, please drive, walk, and bike safely. 

Update, 6/23: 

SoMa Incident

At a press conference this morning, SFPD Commander Robert O'Sullivan stated that the cyclist, a woman in her late 20s, was traveling northbound on Seventh Street. The driver of the vehicle that hit her was traveling at a high speed, and ran a red light. 

The driver fled the scene, but stopped two blocks away at a Chevron gas station on 9th and Howard. Once he exited his car, it rolled backwards into a parked car. A witness on the scene implored him to stay until police arrived, and he was arrested.

O'Sullivan stated that drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor, though a witness who stopped the suspect wrote on Reddit that he was "definitely not sober."

Charges at this time include a felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter. A booking photo and name of the suspect will be released later today.

Golden Gate Park Incident

The woman who was hit and killed in Golden Gate Park yesterday afternoon was in her late 40s, according O'Sullivan. She was traveling eastbound on 30th Avenue when she was hit by a vehicle traveling westbound at high speed on John F. Kennedy Drive. 

The driver fled the scene, and the car, a 2016 Honda Fit, was discovered by a witness at the Angler's Lodge a mile from the scene. The witness noticed extensive damage to the car, thought it suspicious, and called SFPD. The car was later discovered to have been stolen.

The suspect is still at large, and SFPD is encouraging the public to call their tip line with any information. "No detail is too small," Commander O'Sullivan stated. If you have any information, call the SFPD anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with "SFPD."

Update, 6/23 3:50pm:

The victims' names have been released. The Examiner reports that Heather Miller, age 41, was hit and killed in Golden Gate Park around 6pm. At 8:30pm, Katherine Slattery, age 26, was killed by a driver running a red light at 7th and Howard. 

Update, 6/23 5:32pm: 

SFPD has released more information on the suspect in the SoMa collision that killed Katherine Slattery. Here's our story.