A 78-year-old woman has been accused of manslaughter after a horrific wrong-way crash killed three and severely injured an infant on Saturday at a Muni bus stop in West Portal.
Mary Fong Lau was booked into jail on three counts of vehicular manslaughter, two reckless driving offenses, driving on the wrong side of the road and driving at an unsafe speed, records show. Lau was booked in at 12:15 p.m. Sunday and remains in jail as of late Monday morning.
Family members were identified by officials Tuesday as Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40, and 1-year-old Joaquin Ramos Pinto de Oliveira, who died at the scene of the crash at Ulloa Street and Lenox Way. The boys' mother, Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto, 38, died later in hospital.
The only surviving family member from the crash is a 2-month-old boy, the consulate said. The baby boy has been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said.
The driver was traveling eastbound when the white Mercedes SUV crashed into the bus stop just steps from Muni's West Portal station around 12:15 p.m., according to the San Francisco Police Department.
The four victims are all members of the same family, the Brazilian consulate told the Standard Monday. The father was a Brazilian national who worked for Apple.
Sandra Tupper, a neighbor of 20 years who moved away from Lau's street on Crestlake Drive in 2021, said she last saw the suspect one year ago, and she appeared to be in good health.
"I know she used to babysit and go to people's houses. She's a great person," Tupper said. "It's unusual. She's definitely not a drinker."
Tupper said she had never seen Lau drive carelessly and was worried she had some kind of medical emergency on Saturday, describing her as a "great and friendly neighbor."
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is investigating the crash along with the police.
"There have been zero injury collisions on Ulloa Street between Madrone Street and Claremont Boulevard (inclusive) in the past five years," an SFMTA spokesperson said Monday afternoon. "The one pedestrian minor injury occurred 130 feet south and involved a transient walking midblock. There's nothing to suggest this type of crash was part of a pattern. Our staff will be analyzing the area and see if improvements and recommendations can be made."
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins asked for patience in filing charges against Lau as toxicology results from the suspect could take 30 days to process. The vehicle operating system will need to be carefully analyzed by experts to determine if mechanical issues were involved in the crash.
"These are just two examples of the continued investigation that must occur and cannot be completed within the 48 hours that we legally have to render a charging decision," Jenkins said Monday afternoon. "My office will continue to stand with and support the victims’ family and the community during this difficult time."