Update: SFMTA works on intersection after 4-year-old girl killed by driver
SAN FRANCISCO – SFMTA construction crews began making improvements Friday to an intersection where a 4-year-old girl was fatally struck by a driver over a week ago.
The agency posted on social media work being performed at the 4th and King intersection in the city's Mission Bay neighborhood near Oracle Park. Crews removed one of the two southbound right turn lanes at the intersection to improve traffic safety.
"This slows traffic and reduces the conflict between turning cars and people in the crosswalk," SFMTA said on X, formerly Twitter.
In response to last week's tragedy at 4th & King, we have reduced the two right turn lanes from 4th Street onto King Street to a single lane. This slows traffic and reduces the conflict between turning cars and people in the crosswalk. pic.twitter.com/8330quNqGT
— SFMTA (@SFMTA_Muni) August 25, 2023
Along with the lane closure, SFMTA said crews will install a flashing yellow traffic signal to replace the current green light within the next two weeks. Mayor London Breed has also directed the agency to assess other intersections with double turn lanes and to prioritize safety improvements to roads on the city's "High Injury Network", where more than 68% of the city's severe and fatal collisions occur.
City crews began work at the intersection after activists from the group Safe Street Rebel installed their own barriers closing one of the lanes following a vigil held at the intersection on Tuesday night. Activists said the original timeline of three weeks for the changes was too long.
"Glad to see SFMTA crews are out at 4th & King putting in official safety improvements. Direct action moved up the timeline by 2.5 weeks," the group said Friday.
Update: Glad to see SFMTA crews are out at 4th & King putting in official safety improvements. Direct action moved up the timeline by 2.5 weeks https://t.co/wHVtrFs12G pic.twitter.com/jwtKHulQsM
— Safe Street Rebel (@SafeStreetRebel) August 25, 2023
The SFMTA said, "We thank @walksf and all the advocates who came out to the vigil and supported rapid change on our streets."
The work on 4th and King was prompted after an August 15 collision where a driver struck the 4-year-old girl and her father, who were in the crosswalk.
Both were taken to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where the girl later died. The father was treated for life-threatening injuries.
The driver, identified as 71-year-old Karen Cartagena, was arrested on suspicion of failure to yield to pedestrians and vehicular manslaughter.