May 7, 2012--Los Angeles, CA--According to ABC News, a man already known to authorities on unrelated matters hit a mother and her son as they attempted to cross the street, then fled the scene when authorities arrived.

43-year-old Steve Smith was driving a Toyota Previa on Broadway near 41^st Street on Friday when he struck the victims, a 57-year-old woman and her five-year-old foster son.  The names of the victims have not been released.  Authorities state that the woman and her son were seriously injured, but were taken to a local hospital where they were treated and are expected to make a recovery.

Smith, a black male of about 5 feet 5 inches and 210 pounds, stopped when the accident happened, according to witnesses.  However, when police arrived, he escaped on foot from the scene of the pedestrian accident.  The Los Angeles Police Department urges anyone who knows Smith’s whereabouts to come forward with information.

My sincere wishes for a speedy recovery go out to the victim and her son. More

March 6, 2012--San Francisco, CA--An unidentified 60-year-old man is in  San Francisco General this morning with critical injuries sustained in a hit-and-run pedestrian accident that occurred about 2 a.m. on Saturday.

According to police reports, an El Camino ran up on the curb on Potrero Avenue in Potrero Hill and hit the pedestrian who was on the sidewalk.   The man sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the hospital, where he remains at this time.  The driver of the car, who has not yet been identified, fled the scene after the accident occurred, although witnesses were able to give a description of the vehicle.

I want to extend my heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery to the victim, and hope that the driver turns himself or herself in quickly or is apprehended soon. More

February 17, 2012--San Francisco, CA--On Tuesday, a paratransit shuttle bus owned by BayMed Express ran over a pedestrian, pinning him under the bus and causing severe injuries.  However, the driver was not charged, prompting outraged responses from several groups.

According to witnesses, the shuttle turned right at the intersection of Leavenworth Street and Eddy Street in San Francisco.  An unidentified man with a cane was attempting to cross the street at that intersection.  Witnesses stated that the man clearly had the right of way, a theory supported by police who investigated the scene.  However, the bus driver was not charged with a crime.

The man was pinned under the bus's wheels for several minutes until he could be extracted by rescue workers and taken to a hospital.  Authorities confirmed that the man had several broken bones but there is no further word on his condition at the present time. More

A 47-year-old woman was critically injured in a San Francisco car accident, which officials say involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a Bay City News report, the injury collision occurred the evening of February 13, 2012 at the intersection of Mission and 13th streets. The woman was walking south on Mission before attempting to cross 13th Street. She was in the crosswalk on a green light when a white truck hit her. The driver who hit the woman as he was making a right turn onto eastbound 13th Street accelerated and drove away from the scene. He was later identified as 55-year-old Craig Sheppard and arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run and failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The victim was transported to a local hospital with life threatening head injuries.

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Donna Joyce Clark, 50, was killed in a Victorville car accident after she was struck by a vehicle while crossing the roadway. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred the evening of February 10, 2012 at the intersection of Sixth and D streets. Officials suspect that Clark was not in a crosswalk when a vehicle driven by a 28-year-old man hit her. Clark was transported to a local hospital where she died from her injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Donna Joyce Clark for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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A 46-year-old woman was injured in a San Diego car accident after being pinned underneath a trailer, the evening of February 10, 2012. According to a news report in U-T San Diego, the pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of Loring and Cass streets in San Diego. Officials say the woman exited her car and was crossing the road, when a Jeep pulling a trailer avoided her car but struck her. She was trapped by the trailer and suffered head injuries. She has been listed in critical condition. It is not clear if the 45-year-old male driver of the Jeep will be cited for the collision.

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Officials in Ventura County are still looking for a hit-and-run driver who left three girls seriously injured. According to a KEYT news report, the car accident in Ventura occurred the night of February 4, 2012 along Victoria Avenue in the Silverstrand portion of Oxnard. Officials say Joan Aronson was walking with her two daughters and another girl when the children were struck. The girls were walking in the bike path because the roadway did not have a sidewalk. Two of the victims, including a 9-year-old girl, sustained moderate injuries such as facial cuts and bruises. A 6-year-old girl named Brooke remains in critical condition with spinal, lung, and head injuries.

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A woman and her 7-year-old granddaughter were injured in a Modesto car accident after a pickup struck them. According to a news report in The Modesto Bee, the pedestrian accident occurred at East Whitmore Avenue and Fifth Street in Ceres, the night of February 4, 2012. Officials say a 25-year-old man driving a Chevrolet pickup truck hit the woman and her granddaughter at the intersection. The woman suffered head injuries, cuts and bruises. The granddaughter sustained broken ribs and internal injuries and has been listed in serious condition. It is unclear what caused this accident or if the driver will be cited for the collision.

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Three girls ages 8 and 6, and 11, were injured in a Ventura car accident involving a hit-and-run driver, the night of February 4, 2012. According to a news report in The Ventura County Star, the hit-and-run accident occurred near Santa Monica Drive and Victoria Avenue in Oxnard. Police say 50-year-old Joan Aronson was walking with her two daughter and one other girl when a car heading north jumped a curb and struck the three girls. Officials say all three girls suffered serious injuries and were transported to an area hospital for treatment. The driver did not stop after the collision, and continued in the same direction.

Officials are asking for the public’s help in tracking down the hit-and-run driver. The vehicle has been described as a newer silver or gray Japanese-make vehicle with tinted windows and a potentially damaged bumper. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information is asked to call the Ventura office of the California Highway Patrol at 805-477-4100.

My heart goes out to the three girls injured in this terrible hit-and-run car accident. I wish them all the very best for a complete and speedy recovery. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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The driver of the Muni bus that ran over and killed Emily Dunn in a horrific pedestrian accident at a Castro intersection will face criminal charges. According to a news report in The Bay Citizen, the fatal accident occurred August 11, 2011 at the intersection of Hartford and 18th streets. Police said the 23-year-old Dunn had almost finished crossing Hartford Street when a Muni bus turning from 18th Street hit and crushed her under its wheels. The driver, Wallace Loggins, has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He could face up to one year in county jail if convicted.

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