A 77-year-old woman was struck and killed by a car at the intersection of 39th Avenue and Geary Boulevard earlier this month, marking the third pedestrian death in San Francisco in 2025. The incident occurred at an intersection that has seen a similar fatality before: in December 2020, a 68-year-old man died at the same location. The victim's identity has not been released out of respect for her family.
Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco, expressed grief over the loss. "We grieve the loss of life on our streets and are heartbroken for this woman's loved ones," Medeiros said. She emphasized that the intersection is inherently dangerous: both roads have four travel lanes, and there are no traffic lights or stop signs. While pedestrian crosswalks exist, the lack of signage or right-of-way guidance significantly increases the risk of accidents. Last year, 24 pedestrians were struck and killed by drivers in San Francisco.
Walk San Francisco issued a release urging the city to take action. "Pedestrians must cross a long distance, and drivers often speed in this quieter section of Geary Boulevard despite a new 25 MPH speed limit," the release stated. The organization calls for the installation of traffic calming measures, such as traffic lights or pedestrian crossing signals, to prevent further tragedies.
The failure of the City of San Francisco to install traffic guidance at this intersection raises concerns about negligence. The city has a duty to ensure safe crossings on busy streets, and the absence of basic safety measures may have contributed to this preventable death.
