A 37-year-old woman was seriously injured overnight Friday after she was struck by a car in a Kearny Mesa parking lot, suffering a fractured sacrum and a fractured humerus before being taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The collision happened around 10:43 p.m. at 8081 Balboa Avenue, according to authorities, in a lot where the woman had reportedly been lying on the ground in front of the vehicle when it struck her.
According to FOX 5 San Diego, a 26-year-old man had parked his 2014 Honda Accord in the lot before the crash. The driver told police he felt an impact, stopped, and backed up, then returned to the Accord a short time later, at which point he discovered the woman lying on the ground. The San Diego Police Department's Traffic Division responded to the scene and is investigating the collision. Police determined that DUI was not a factor in the crash.
A Commercial Corridor Known for Late-Night Foot Traffic
The address where the crash occurred, 8081 Balboa Avenue, is listed as the location of Mercury Books, according to Buttontapper Press. Investigators have not said what led to the woman lying in front of the vehicle in the first place, and that detail remains unresolved.
Anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to contact police, and tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477, per the same account.
Parking Lots Carry Hidden Risks Nationwide
Parking lot crashes are far more common than most drivers assume. Roughly 50,000 traffic accidents occur in parking lots and garages across the country each year, causing more than 60,000 injuries and over 500 deaths, according to the Spada Law Group. Distraction plays a major role: in a National Safety Council survey, 66% of drivers admitted to making phone calls, 63% said they programmed GPS systems, and 56% reported sending text messages while navigating parking areas, according to the same law group's analysis.
Blind spots behind vehicles are another persistent hazard. Low speeds in these settings can create a false sense of security for drivers even as pedestrians remain vulnerable underfoot.
What California Law Requires in Private Lots
California law treats commercial parking lots differently from open roads, but drivers are still bound by clear duties. Separately, California Vehicle Code Section 23103(b) extends reckless driving prohibitions to off-street parking facilities, authorizing law enforcement to cite or arrest drivers who operate with willful or wanton disregard for safety even on private property, per the Steven M. Sweat Personal Injury Lawyers.
A Pattern of Serious Crashes in Kearny Mesa
The crash highlights the importance of traffic safety in Kearny Mesa.
Major roadways through the area have seen even deadlier outcomes. In July 2024, a multi-vehicle collision on State Route 163 claimed four lives and led to DUI charges against two drivers. Citywide, the trend lines around traffic safety have drawn scrutiny: a KPBS analysis of San Diego Police Department data found that traffic stops fell 56.9% between 2014 and 2024, dropping from 144,165 to 62,071, even as citywide traffic fatalities rose 47.4% over the same decade, with SDPD officials attributing the decline in stops to officer staffing shortages.
