A California Street cable car packed with riders on Nob Hill abruptly lurched to a halt yesterday, cutting short a classic San Francisco ride and sending passengers tumbling forward. The sudden stop at California and Hyde left more than a dozen people hurt, drew a large emergency response, and triggered a formal investigation into what went wrong.
Immediate response and injuries
The San Francisco Fire Department was dispatched to 1351 California St., between Leavenworth and Hyde, shortly after 3 p.m. Crews quickly established a westbound ambulance corridor and began assessing everyone on board.
There were 15 people on the cable car, according to KTVU. Two riders were taken straight to a hospital, 11 others were treated on scene for minor aches and pains, and two people declined transport. A window on the car was reported broken, and the fire department shared video of first responders working the scene. Officials described the injuries overall as minor to moderate and confirmed that a formal investigation was underway.
Witnesses and early toll
Passengers recalled a violent jolt as the car came to a stop, with some describing people "flying in the air" inside the vehicle. The fire department initially reported 14 patients, then later updated that 15 people had been evaluated.
Authorities said all injured passengers were in stable condition and that no other vehicle was involved in the incident. The investigation has been handed over to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the San Francisco Police Department for further review.
A 911 call came in shortly after 3:09 PM, placing the incident near a busy commercial stretch of California Street, about a block east of a Trader Joe's, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Service changes and probe
In the wake of the abrupt stop, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said it would pull the affected cable car from service and launch a full review of both the vehicle and the California Street cableway.
The agency announced that bus shuttles would replace California line cable cars for now, with a reroute around Hyde Street while investigators do their work. "Safety for our passengers on all Muni vehicles continues to be our top priority," the SFMTA said as it opened a detailed investigation into the incident, according to reporting by The Associated Press. Officials have not yet released any information about what caused the car to stop so suddenly.
Context
San Francisco's cable cars are open air and manually operated, and riders often stand or hang on the exterior while the cars climb and descend the city’s hills. The system is a major tourist magnet and a rolling city icon, but it operates without seat belts, as the Chronicle notes.
Monday's abrupt stop came less than a day after a separate cable car crash at California and Van Ness that injured three people. Officials have said that incident is under a separate investigation.
Transit advocates told the Chronicle that two cable car incidents in as many days are likely to intensify scrutiny on maintenance routines and inspection practices as the SFMTA works through its findings, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The SFMTA and SFPD say their joint probe into Monday's incident is ongoing and that they will release more details when they are available. The fire department has since cleared the scene, and Muni bus shuttles are now covering service on the California line, per local reporting by KTVU.
