Blog Posts in August, 2014

HGTV Host and SF Resident Bill Beckwith Dies in Motorcycle Accident

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Bill Beckwith, of San Francisco. Bill Beckwith, 38, was killed on Monday night in a motorcycle crash in the Haight district of San Francisco. Beckwith was known for his work as the host of the hit HGTV television show “Curb Appeal” and his construction company, BBDesignBuild. Beckwith was riding his motorcycle near Oak and Steiner streets when a ...

Truck driver kills 3 year-old Elijah Alvitre in San Jose Pedestrian Accident

We are saddened to hear about the death of Elijah Alvitre, a 3-year-old, who was struck and killed while crossing the street in San Jose. Our thoughts are with his family members during this difficult time. The tragic pedestrian accident occurred on Sunday afternoon on the corner of Vine and Oak in San Jose. Elijah was being pushed in a stroller when a driver made a left turn without yielding and ...

Three Workers Burned at Tesla Motors Plant in Fremont

Mechanical failure at the Tesla Motors plant in Fremont sent three employees to a burn unit in San Jose. According to Tesla spokeswoman Elizabeth Jarvis-Sheen, the three employees were injured by hot metal from a low pressure aluminum casting press. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk told media outlets that the hot metal spilled onto the workers. Two of the workers sustained relatively minor injuries, but ...

Disability Advocate Bryan Goodwin Killed While Crossing Street in Wheelchair

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Bryan Goodwin, the wheelchair-bound disability advocate who was stuck and killed by a car on Monday morning. Goodwin, 31, of San Francisco, was hit by a car while crossing Market Street and Octavia Boulevard shortly after midnight. He was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital, where he died of his injuries. The name of the driver has not been ...

Caltrans Worker Edward Holgersen Struck by Car While on Duty in Sonoma County

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Edward Holgersen, the Caltrans worker who was struck by a car while working . Holgerson was standing behind a line of cones conducting traffic control for a construction crew on the Murray Road overpass of U.S. Highway 101 when he was hit by a 1998 Cadillac sedan. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is currently stable in an intensive care ...

Menlo Park Couple, Kamal Kaur and Balbir Singh, Killed by Drunk Driver While Walking Their Dog

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Kamal Kaur and Balbir Singh, the Menlo Park couple killed by a drunk driver while they walked their dog. Kaur and Singh were walking their dog eastbound along Chilco Street near Constitution Drive in Menlo Park at around 7 p.m. when they were hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver. The vehicle struck the couple from behind, launching them into ...

Maximo Cayabyab, 70, Struck and Killed by Amtrak Train

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Maximo Cayabyab, who was struck and killed by an Amtrak train. Cayabyab, 70, was hit by Amtrak train No. 527 en route to San Jose near Floresta Boulevard and Washington Avenue in San Leandro. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Maximo Cayabyab resided in San Leandro. No train passengers were hurt and the train was held for about two hours before ...

Muni Bus Accident Kills Elderly Bicyclist Cheng Jin Lai

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Cheng Jin Lai, the bicyclist killed in an accident this morning. A bicyclist was struck and killed by a San Francisco Muni bus this morning near the corner of Bryant and Division streets in the South of Market neighborhood. The 27-Bryant bus made a turn onto 11th street, where the bicycle accident occurred. The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the ...

Two BART Workers Killed by Trains During Strike

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Christopher Sheppard and Larry Daniels, the two BART workers killed by a BART train over the weekend. The two BART workers were struck by a train along a stretch of tracks near Walnut Creek. They were dispatched to that location to investigate a dip in the tracks. The train that struck them was out of operation and transporting workers. BART ...

Medical Errors Third-Leading Cause of Death in America

A recent report claims that medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in America, after heart disease and cancer. Over a decade ago, the Institute of Medicine published “To Err Is Human”, a report that attributed 98,000 deaths to hospital mistakes. The 1999 report was widely criticized and disputed at the time, but the number is now widely accepted by the medical field. Fast forward to ...

South San Francisco Costco Issues Food Safety Recall Due to Salmonella Outbreak

A food safety recall has been issued by the Costco in South San Francisco after hundreds of consumers from across the country reported illness. The store at 1600 El Camino Real sold several products linked to recent illnesses. The products in question are from Foster Farms chicken and include rotisserie chickens, rotisserie chicken leg quarters, rotisserie chicken salad and rotisserie chicken ...

Six Flags Denies Liability in Fatal Amusement Park Accident

Rose Esparza fell to her death on July 19 in a freak amusement park accident at the Six Flags in Fort Worth, Texas. Esparza fell from her seat on the Texas Giant roller coaster, which rises 14 stories high. Her children were seated near her on the ride and witnessed the tragic accident. The family filed a wrongful death suit against Six Flags. The suit detailed Esparza’s last moments, claiming ...

Six-Year-Old Qwentyn Hunter Drowns on Carnival Cruise Ship

A six-year-old drowned in one of the polls on a Carnival cruise ship while at sea. Qwentyn Hunter of Winter Garden, Florida was with his 10-year-old brother in the pool. Cruise passengers pulled the boy from the water and began CPR, but Qwentyn was pronounced dead at the scene. The ship was on the last leg of a four-day Caribbean cruise at the time of the drowning. The ship docked at Port Miami ...

Zachary Katz Kills Tourist in Drunk Driving Collision

Pedro Juan Soldevila, 62, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, died when he was ejected from a taxi cab en route to San Francisco International Airport. A Stanford Business School student has been arrested in connection with the tragic accident that killed Soldevila and injured his travel companion. Zachary Katz, 24, drove an Infiniti sedan north in southbound lanes of Highway 101. The collision occurred ...

Families Who Lost Loved Ones on Old Bay Bridge Span May Visit Before Demolition

Families of those who died on the old span of the Bay Bridge are invited to a memorial service prior to its demolition. The group memorial will be held at 10 a.m. on November 9. Immediate family members of loved ones who died on the span will be escorted onto the span and will be allowed to leave behind a token of remembrance, if they wish. To be included in this event, please contact Officer ...

Kristina Chesterman Killed in Bicycle Accident by Drunk Driver

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Kristina Chesterman, a 19-year-old student who was killed in a bicycle accident involving a drunk driver. Kristina is originally from Livermore, CA. Kristina, a nursing student at Chico State University , biked home from the library around 11 p.m. She was less than one block from her home when a drunk driver struck her with a 2009 GMC Envoy. She was ...

Toyota Recall Announced for Sienna Minivans

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. announced a voluntary recall for owners of certain Sienna minivans. This is the second Toyota recall in one month. This recall involves about 615,000 Sienna minivans from Model Years 2004-2005 and 2007-2009. The shift lever assembly has the potential for damage, specifically to the shift lock solenoid. The shift lever could possibly move out of the “P” position ...

Graciela Martinez Found Dead in Hot Car After Faulty Locks Trap Her Inside

We are saddened to learn of the death of Graciela Martinez, 14, of Madera. Graciela, 14, was found dead inside a hot car after faulty locks trapped her inside. Her brother drove her to school at Madera South High early in the morning. His school day started an hour before hers, so he left her alone in the vehicle. She had no cellphone, food, or water with her. At the end of the school day, he ...

Elderly Woman Struck and Killed in Oakland Chinatown

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the pedestrian killed in Oakland Chinatown yesterday morning. According to the Oakland Police Department, a 73-year-old woman was struck by a truck while crossing a street in Oakland Chinatown. The woman was walking south on Alice street near Ninth street around 8:40 a.m., when a Toyota pickup truck went through the intersection and hit her. The ...

Governor Brown signs Three Feet for Safety Act (AB1371) Into CA Law

After being vetoed twice before, Governor Brown finally signed the Three Feet for Safety Act into law. The Three Feet for Safety Act will go into effect on September 16, 2014. Previously, CA law only required drivers to pass bicyclists that are traveling in the same direction “at a safe distance”. AB1371, better known as the “Three Feet for Safety Act”, was sponsored by Assemblyman Steven ...

New CA Regulations Improve Safety of Rideshare Companies

The California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved new regulations affecting rideshare companies like Lyft , SideCar , InstantCab, and UberX. These companies, now referred to as “transportation network companies” or “TNCs” are now legal in California. These regulations are the first of its kind. Previously, many transportation companies protested these rideshare operations, claiming ...

Police Seeking Hit-and-Run Driver Who Struck Blind Reverend and his Seeing Eye Dog

The East Palo Alto police department is searching for the hit-and-run driver who struck a blind reverend and his guide dog in East Palo Alto. Rev. Albert Macklin and his seeing eye dog “Eaton” left his house to meet his wife at a nearby Starbucks when a female driver backed into him. The incident occurred at 8 p.m. around Myrtle Street and Sparrow Court in East Palo Alto. Macklin, who serves at ...

Five High School Football Deaths in One Month Highlight Safety Concerns

With five high school football deaths in March 2012, the safety of the sport has been closely examined. Three high school students died from contact injuries, and two died from heart-related issues. An average of 12 high school and college football players die each year. Damon James lost consciousness after a helmet-to-helmet hit during a Friday night game. The Brocton High School student was ...

Two-alarm Pittsburg house fire kills three women

Our thoughts are with the three women who perished in a house fire on Sunday morning. Three women were killed in a Pittsburg house fire as they tried to escape. The unidentified women are believed to be the three sisters who rented the home at 283 DiMaggio Avenue. The women were in their 60s or 70s. The women resided in the 880-square-foot-home for at least a year. Three other people who lived in ...

San Mateo Limo Fire Pushes Two Limo Safety Bills to Governors Desk

Two bills concerning limo safety are waiting for Governor Brown’s approval. After the horrific San Mateo limo fire on May 4 that killed five women headed to a bridal party, including the bride, advocates for limo safety have pushed for new legislation. SB 338 , created by Senator Jerry Hill, addresses safety and regulatory gaps in limousine oversight. The bill requires owners of limousines that ...