SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Walk San Francisco, a local advocacy organization, is calling on the city to declare a state of emergency for traffic safety following Sunday’s deadly accident in the Tenderloin District.

A 21-year-old woman struck a husband and wife after running a red light, killing the husband.

This is the second deadly pedestrian accident in San Francisco in just four days.

Walk SF is asking city leaders to take urgent action.

Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco

“Absolutely devastated. These occurrences of pedestrian fatalities from traffic violence are occurring way too often,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco.

Medeiros is demanding increased enforcement of traffic citations by police, speed safety cameras and lower speed limits.

“Every time it’s just heartbreaking to know that these are people whose lives are destroyed,” she said.

On Sunday afternoon, police say 21-year-old Kelsey Mariah Cambridge of Vallejo ran a red light in a Tesla, striking a Mini Cooper, causing both cars to lose control.

Cambridge hit two pedestrians at the intersection of Taylor and O’Farrell streets, a husband and wife from Clovis who were in San Francisco celebrating their third wedding anniversary, according to the wife’s Facebook.

The husband, 39-year-old Benjamin Dean, was killed. His wife was sent to the hospital in critical condition.

Cambridge was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and running a red light.

“Right now we can say that at this point alcohol or drugs or any type of impairment does not seem to be part of the collision,” said San Francisco Police Officer Adam Lobsinger. “Right now based on witness statements, it sounds like the suspect was speeding prior to the collision but those are the only two things we can confirm right now everything else is under investigation.”

Officers are investigating whether the Tesla, which was rented through the peer to peer car rental service “get around” was operating on “Auto Pilot” when the crash occurred.

A spokeswoman for get around said the company is cooperating with authorities and couldn’t comment further “out of respect for the families involved and the investigation underway.”

On Tuesday, Walk SF will be in front of city hall asking city officials to declare a state of emergency.

The public is welcome to attend.



Dash Cam Video Courtesy: Mark Garcia