San Francisco DA says 78-year-old driver in deadly West Portal crash to face 4 felony charges
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Tuesday announced the 78-year-old driver in the deadly West Portal crash that killed an entire family will face four charges of felony vehicular manslaughter.
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott and SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins made the announcement regarding the investigation of the fatal collision during a press conference at SFPD headquarters on Third Street.
According to SF police, there is also an arrest warrant issued for the driver, Mary Fong Lau. Police said she is not in custody, but officers are working with her attorney to bring her into custody.
Chief Scott said the arrest warrant and charges came after investigators found no evidence of mechanical failure or impairment. DA Jenkins said the investigation took some time as investigators worked to rule out any possible medical issues or other alternative causes to the crash.
The tragic crash occurred on March 16 while the family was on the way to the zoo and waiting at a West Portal bus stop at Ulloa Street and Lennox Way.
An SUV driven by Mary Fong Lau, 78, was headed east on Ulloa about 12:13 p.m. when the vehicle crashed into the bus stop.
Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, and his 2-year-old son Joaquin died at the scene. The mother, Matilde Ramos Pinto, and infant Caue Ramos Pinto de Oliveira were hospitalized. The mother died of her injuries the next day and the baby succumbed March 20.
After the crash, Lau was arrested and booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, reckless driving with bodily injury, driving the wrong way on a divided road and driving at an unsafe speed. However, the district attorney did not file charges in the weeks that followed as the investigation into the incident continued.
Witnesses said the driver was going between 50 and 70 miles per hour in the wrong direction on Ulloa Street. They said there were no signs of braking and no skid marks on the road.
Lau's attorney said she remained at the hospital during the week after the collision, but no details were released about her injuries and condition.
A few days after the crash, Lau and her family released the following statement through her attorney:
"Ms. Lau and her family join the community in mourning the tragic loss of life that occurred in West Portal over the weekend.
We express our gratitude to the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco Fire Department, and all of the other first responders that responded to the scene, and to the San Francisco District Attorneys Office for undertaking a diligent and thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to this tragic accident. Ms. Lau has been fully cooperating with investigators and will continue to do so.
While it's understandable to seek more information regarding the causes of this devastating accident, Ms. Lau and her family respectfully request privacy during this difficult time as investigators continue to gather relevant information."
