by Rob NaglePolice are still hoping someone will come forward to identify the driver of a white sedan that struck and killed 2-year-old Mi'yana Gregory of San Francisco last week. It was the 17th fatal traffic collision in The City this year.
Mi'yana was in the crosswalk on Mission Street between Fourth and Fifth streets about 10:37 p.m. Friday when she was struck by a white car traveling eastbound on Mission Street. The girl was reportedly with her mother and twin brother.
The vehicle is described as a white four-door sedan with a dark-colored bumper and dark rims.
Police Chief Greg Suhr said the accident was "devastating" and he is hoping someone will recognize the car and persuade the driver to come forward.
At a back-to-school event at Balboa High School this morning, Mayor Ed Lee said he was saddened to learn of the girl's death, and that he and Suhr spoke over the weekend about ensuring authorities identify the vehicle and driver involved.
"That's such a horrible incident, the police chief has been talking to me throughout the weekend, and they're making every effort to solicit cooperation from anyone who may have seen, identified the car that had irresponsibly gone through the crosswalk," Lee said.
Of the 17 traffic fatalities this year, eight are being investigated or charged as criminal acts, according to a report from the Police Department.
The report lists 15 traffic fatalities in The City up to July 8, when a vehicle collided with a motorcyclist at Van Ness Avenue and Sutter Street.
The motorcyclist was killed in the collision. The investigation determined that the driver of the car was the culpable party and a warrant is being sought for the driver's arrest.
The report was released before Friday's hit-and-run of Mi'yana Gregory. It also did not include the July 28 incident in which a man suspected of stealing a minivan crashed into a taxicab at a Tenderloin intersection that caused the injuries of two pedestrians on the sidewalk.
One of those injured was a bicyclist who died from his injuries just this past weekend.
Zachary Watson, 29, of San Francisco was identified as that victim.
A 60-year-old man who was also on the sidewalk during the accident sustained only minor injuries, along with the cab driver and his passenger.
Anthony Wisner, 25, is the man suspected of driving the stolen minivan and is scheduled to be in court Aug. 29 for a prehearing conference.
Wisner already faces 10 felony charges and one misdemeanor and will now likely face additional charges due to Watson's death, according to the District Attorney's Office.
In cases where a victim dies, prosecutors will likely re-examine the case and bring additional charges against the defendant, Bastian said.
The hit-and-run of the 2-year-old girl was not the only serious collision last weekend. On Sunday, a 28-year-old man sustained critical injuries after he was struck by a car on Mission Street near 24th Street when he reportedly ran across the street to catch a cab.
In that incident, police said the victim was not in a crosswalk and the vehicle that struck him had a green light. The driver reportedly remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Examiner Staff Writer Laura Dudnick contributed to this report.