Driver fatally struck pedestrian in SF grocery store parking lot

A driver fatally struck a pedestrian in the main parking lot at the entrance of Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco on Monday, officials said.

The San Francisco Police Department said it responded to a report of a collision on the 1700 block of Folsom Street at 2:50 p.m.

Officers and paramedics rushed to the parking lot and provided medical aid but the individual was declared deceased despite the life-saving efforts, Officer Robert Rueca, a spokesperson for the department, wrote in an email. 

The driver also hit several cars in the parking lot, Rueca said. Drugs and alcohol did not appear to be a contributing factor in the preliminary investigation. The driver stayed on scene and is cooperating in the police investigation. 

“This is not very common, fortunately,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director of the local advocacy group Walk San Francisco. “It’s not common to lose people in parking lots, but we do know there are serious crashes in parking lots.”

The Monday collision marks the 17th pedestrian fatality in San Francisco since the start of the year, according to city data. Last year there were 20 pedestrian fatalities reported in SF. This was an increase in pedestrian fatalities from prior recent years, with an average of 14 pedestrian deaths reported per year from 2021 to 2017.

A 2022 report from Walk SF found that speeding is the No. 1 factor contributing to fatal and severe collisions, including pedestrian fatalities. The group has advocated for the city to implement projects that slow cars down, as research has found that pedestrians are more vulnerable when cars are traveling at speeds of 25 mph or above. The group is also calling on the city to improve the safety at 900 intersections.

Rainbow Grocery did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.