Franklin and Pine Streets: Scooter Rider Fatally Struck by a Driver Who Fled
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA (October 24, 2026): A man riding a motorized scooter died after a San Francisco hit-and-run near Franklin and Pine streets at about 5:08 a.m. Saturday, October 24, 2026, according to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), as reported by KRON4 and the San Francisco Chronicle. Officers found the man with life-threatening injuries, and he was taken to a hospital, where he later died, police said.
The investigation determined that a vehicle struck the man and left the scene without stopping to help him, police said in a news release quoted by KRON4. Officers who searched the area during the first response could not find the driver or the vehicle.
Investigators from the SFPD Traffic Collision Investigation Unit and its Sideshow Response and Enforcement Unit later identified the vehicle and found it in San Rafael, with help from the San Rafael Police Department, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. A 39-year-old San Rafael man was taken into custody and booked into the San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter, according to police. Investigators seized the vehicle and towed it back to San Francisco. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Police announced the arrest on Friday, October 30, and said the case remains active. Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD at (415) 575-4444 or text TIP411, starting the message with “SFPD.”
The man who died has not been identified, and police have not released his age. SFPD has not described the vehicle, said which way it was traveling, or said whether speed, lighting or road conditions played a role. These are early findings from an open investigation. Fault is determined by investigators and, in civil cases, by the courts, and initial findings sometimes change.
Liability for a San Francisco Hit-and-Run Scooter Crash
Under California Vehicle Code § 20001, a driver involved in a crash that injures or kills another person must stop immediately at the scene and meet the duties that follow it in the code, including giving information and rendering reasonable assistance. Leaving is a crime, and it also matters in a civil case. California Civil Code § 1714 makes everyone generally responsible for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care, and Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60 lists the family members who may generally bring a wrongful death claim.
- Duty to stop: Police said the driver left without helping the injured rider. Section 20001 generally requires a driver to stop when a crash injures or kills someone, regardless of who caused the collision.
- Identified vehicle: Investigators say they located the vehicle in San Rafael. Once a vehicle is identified, the insurance covering it is generally central to any civil claim by the family.
- Scooter riders: Drivers owe a person riding a scooter on a city street the same ordinary care they owe anyone else under Section 1714. Any claim that the rider shared fault would be decided on the evidence, not on early accounts.
- Family claims: Under Section 377.60, a surviving spouse, domestic partner, children and certain other relatives may generally bring a wrongful death claim. The coverage available depends on the policies involved, including the family’s own.
A criminal case and a civil claim are separate, and a civil case uses a different standard of proof.
Steps to Take After a San Francisco Hit-and-Run
San Francisco police have said the case is still active after the arrest, so witness accounts and video can still make a difference. If you or a family member was hurt, or you lost a loved one, in a hit-and-run, these steps help protect the information a claim depends on:
- Report what you know: Call the SFPD at (415) 575-4444 or text TIP411 with any detail about the vehicle, the driver or the moments before the crash, as soon as possible.
- Preserve video: Homes, businesses and parked cars near Franklin Street may have cameras. Ask owners to save any footage and share it with investigators, because recordings are often overwritten.
- Request the records: Ask the police department how to obtain the traffic collision report and the case number, and keep copies of hospital and medical examiner records.
- Talk to insurers carefully: Report the crash to your own auto insurer, but avoid recorded statements or signing releases with any insurance company before getting legal guidance.
Legal deadlines and notice requirements apply after a crash, injury or death, and they vary with the facts of each case, the location and the parties involved, including any public agency. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights.
Investigating the Franklin and Pine Streets Hit-and-Run
We at Carrazco Law, A.P.C., a personal injury and civil rights law firm in Irvine, California, extend our condolences to the family and friends of the man who died. Two questions remain open: what route the vehicle took after leaving Franklin and Pine streets before investigators found it in San Rafael, and whether traffic or business cameras along Franklin Street recorded the impact. We have also covered a San Francisco hit-and-run at Moscow Street and France Avenue and a pedestrian killed in a hit-and-run on Interstate 280 near Geneva Avenue.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car, truck or pedestrian accident anywhere in California, our personal injury attorneys can help you understand your rights and legal options. Call us anytime at (800) 541-3244. Se Habla Español. Free consultation.
Published on November 3, 2026 by M.M., Carrazco Law, A.P.C. The incident described in this article occurred on October 24, 2026.
