Student killed by S.F. taxi was 'confident and genuine’ teen

Seana Canavan, 17, pictured earlier in April, was a student at International High School where she played varsity volleyball. Canavan was struck and killed by a taxi in San Francisco on Saturday night. Seana Canavan, 17, pictured earlier in April, was a student at International High School where she played varsity volleyball. Canavan was struck and killed by a taxi in San Francisco on Saturday night. Photo: ONLINE_YES Photo: ONLINE_YES Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Student killed by S.F. taxi was 'confident and genuine’ teen 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Seana Canavan was a vibrant student and a passionate athlete with ambitious plans for her future.

But on Sunday, the teen’s close friends and family were overcome with grief after the senior at International High School was struck and killed by a taxi the night before in San Francisco.

Seana, who would have turned 18 on Monday, was with a group of friends at 10:28 p.m. Saturday in the city’s Polk Gulch when police said she stepped in front of a taxi heading westbound on Pine Street near Larkin Street.

Seana was struck, sending her friends running to her aid while others cried out for someone to call an ambulance. Seana, though, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Officer Albie Esparza, a San Francisco police spokesman.

Her father was too overcome with grief Sunday to comment on her death, saying only that he and Seana’s boyfriend were by her side when she died.

Authorities said the driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with police while investigators worked to determine the circumstances of the collision.

“Seana wasn’t just unique because of who she was, but because of what she was — a student, daughter, athlete, artist, comedian, feminist, San Franciscan, believer and my best friend,” said 18-year-old Sammy Walker, who met Seana when the two were 5 years old at San Francisco Day School.

Walker added that her friend “was, and still is, a confident and genuine woman who had a mind of her own. Her energy is and will forever be a part of everyone whose lives were touched by her.”

Seana was set to graduate this year from International High School, a private bilingual school in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley, where she played on the varsity volleyball team.

“Our thoughts are with our families — particularly the Canavans — during this most difficult time,” school spokesman Robert Movradinov said Sunday.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky