Pedestrian in life-threatening condition after being hit by driver near Salesforce Transit Center

Pedestrian in life-threatening condition after being hit by driver near Salesforce Transit CenterPhoto: Google Maps
Teresa Hammerl
Published on June 27, 2019

A 30-year-old man is in life-threatening condition after being hit by a driver near the Salesforce Transit Center in the early hours of this morning.

Police say the driver, whose age and gender were not disclosed, was headed west on Howard Street at 1:53 a.m., and struck the pedestrian while turning onto First Street. The pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries, and was hospitalized in critical condition. 

It was not immediately clear if the driver remained on the scene after the collision. No arrests have been made, and police said that the incident remains under investigation. SFPD did not respond to a request for comment by press time. 

The intersection of Howard and First streets has been identified as a high-injury corridor under the city's Vision Zero plan, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2024. In March, 30-year-old Tess Rothstein was killed while cycling just a few blocks away, at Howard and Sixth streets. 

Rothstein's death led to the implementation of a parking-protected bike lane on three blocks of Howard Street (between Third and Sixth streets). New pedestrian safety zones are also in the works for Sixth Street. 

Update 7:15 p.m.: "This collision was not a hit-and-run," SFPD spokesperson Officer Joseph Tomlinson tells Hoodline. He added that the driver stayed on the scene and is cooperating with the investigation. "The victim is still in life-threatening condition," Tomlinson said.

Update 6/28: Police said on Friday that the pedestrian was walking on red against the light.