An 88-year-old woman was left with life-threatening injuries after an e-bike rider struck her while she crossed Upper Market Street near Market and Church streets around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, then sped off without stopping, according to San Francisco police. No arrest has been made, and investigators have not released a description of the suspect or the bicycle involved.
The woman was crossing the street when the bicyclist hit her and immediately fled the scene, police said, as reported by NBC Bay Area. She was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, and an update on her condition was not available as of Thursday. The outlet's report, citing police, also noted that no arrest had been made and no details about the suspect or bicycle had been shared publicly. Additional details on the crash timeline were confirmed by SFGATE, which reported the collision occurred as the woman crossed near the Market and Church intersection before the rider fled.
Anyone with information has been asked to call the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444, or send a text to TIP411 starting the message with SFPD, per the same police account relayed by the station.
A Felony Under State Law If the Rider Is Found
Leaving the scene of a collision that causes bodily injury or death is a felony under California Vehicle Code Section 20001, which requires operators to stop, identify themselves, and render reasonable aid, according to the law firm Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn. Separately, under California Vehicle Code Section 21200, bicycle and electric bicycle riders on public roads carry the exact same legal rights and responsibilities as drivers of motor vehicles, the Shouse Law Group notes, meaning e-bike operators are not exempt from the same rules that govern cars when it comes to right-of-way, speed, and the duty to stop after a crash.
It remains unknown what class of e-bike was involved in Wednesday's collision. Under state law, e-bikes fall into three categories, with Class 3 models capable of pedal-assist speeds up to 28 mph and restricted to riders at least 16 years old, according to CalBike.
A Dangerous Stretch Flagged Years Ago
The intersection where the woman was struck sits on San Francisco's Vision Zero High Injury Network, the roughly 12% of city streets where an estimated 68% to 70% of severe and fatal traffic collisions occur, according to the SFMTA. Past SFMTA safety studies found that Upper Market's mix of streetcars, buses, bicycles, and heavy foot traffic has long created weaving conflicts between modes, prompting earlier fixes like painted safety zones and adjusted signal timing.
Hoodline previously covered a severe hit-and-run at Market, 16th, and Noe streets in 2017.
Part of a Citywide Surge in Severe Crashes
Wednesday's collision lands amid a broader rise in severe traffic injuries across San Francisco. Fatal and severe collisions citywide climbed 8% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, reaching 100 severe or fatal crashes, according to mid-year SFMTA data reported by Hoodline in its August coverage of a fatal e-scooter crash at Powell and Market streets.
Pedestrian safety group Walk SF reported that at least 12 pedestrians had been killed on San Francisco streets by August 2026, up from nine at the same point in 2025, with pedestrians accounting for more than half of all traffic deaths in the city. A separate 2026 comparative analysis from Walk SF found San Francisco leads major U.S. cities in the share of traffic fatalities involving pedestrians, at 52.9% of all traffic deaths citywide.
Emergency physicians at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital have reported a steady influx of severe head, facial, and internal trauma injuries among e-bike and e-scooter riders and collision victims this year. Whether surveillance footage from nearby Upper Market businesses will help identify the rider who fled Wednesday's crash remains an open question for investigators.
