Cars

Suspect Arrested in Connection With Bernal Hill Hit and Run

/ Todd_Lappin / 22 Comments

SFPD booking photo of Aliitasi Alapati, who was arrested as the suspected driver of the vehicle that struck a pedestrian on Bernal Hill on March 22.

The San Francisco Police announced the arrest of a woman who is believed to have been the driver of the vehicle involved in a hit and run accident last month that left a victim with life-threatening injuries on the north-east side of Bernal Hill.

San Francisco resident Aliitasi Alapati, 41, was arrested last Thursday in connection with the March 28 hit and run on Bernal Heights Boulevard.

Video footage of the incident obtained by Bernalwood showed that at 8:22 am, a Jeep Liberty swerved across a lane of traffic and struck a woman who was walking along the footpath on the other side of the road. The video also showed that the Jeep did not stop and left the scene immediately after running the victim down.

Last Thursday, the SFPD moved in to make an arrest.

The Examiner reports that police executed search warrants at three San Francisco homes last Thursday, including one on the 200 block of Raymond Avenue, one on the 300 block of Chenery Street and one on the 300 block of Font Blvd. The suspect vehicle was located at the Raymond Avenue address, and Alaptati was arrested on Font.

The Examiner adds that security camera video footage and evidence provided by witnesses yielded information that helped identify Alaptati as the suspect.

The incident left the victim, an unidentified woman, with life-threatening injuries. While there have been no official statements about the victim’s status, Bernalwood has received information from credible sources that she is recovering from her injuries.

Woman Injured After Hit and Run on Bernal Heights Blvd.

/ Todd_Lappin / 51 Comments

Video footage shows a Jeep Liberty veering off the road and striking a woman on Bernal Heights Boulevard.

A pedestrian was injured on the northeast side of Bernal Hill at 8:20 this morning, after she was hit by a car traveling east on Bernal Heights Boulevard. The driver of the car left the scene without stopping.

A Bernal neighbor tells Bernalwood:

There was a hit & run on Bernal Heights Blvd this morning.

I hope that another Bernal neighbor may recognize the vehicle? If someone does, they should contact the Ingleside Police station: 415-404-4000. (That’s the front desk so they should ask to speak with an investigator and say it’s about a hit & run in Bernal Heights this morning.)

Here is video footage of the hit and run. The incident occurs at the 27 second mark:

Another neighbor who was also at the scene provides an update on the victim:

She was conscious but mostly non-responsive. What I overheard the medics saying suggests she has back and leg injury, but could still move her legs.

Video footage shows the vehicle that struck the woman was a dark-colored Jeep Liberty Sport  from the 2005 to 2007 model years.

The video footage also shows that the vehicle was traveling east before swerving well off the pavement on the opposite side of the road to hit the woman, who was walking along the path on the north side.

jeepswerve

New Stop Signs Coming to Eastern Side of Bernal Hill

/ Todd_Lappin / 13 Comments

Locations of new stop signs (Source Bernalwood)

As part of a long-planned effort to calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety on the eastern side of Bernal Hill, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is preparing to install new stop signs on Bernal Heights Boulevard, near the Vista Pointe Garden mini-park. The signs may be installed this week.

SFMTA transportation planner Patrick Golier explains:

In 2015 staff at the SFMTA legislated three stop signs and one additional crosswalk at the intersection of Bernal Heights Blvd and Carver Street. The intersection will be an all-way stop controlled intersection, and two curb bulbs will be constructed to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians. The new crosswalk will be installed across the southbound approach of Bernal Heights Blvd, west of Bradford Street and north of Carver Street. The other existing crosswalk will be striped with high visibility crossing treatments.

We had been waiting to install the stop signs until after the curb bulb construction since the signs will ultimately be located on the curb bulbs. However we can install them in the short-term and move them once the bulbs are constructed.

In an update, SFMTA’s Golier adds that the new stop signs may be installed as soon as Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Hat Tip: Janet Kessler

Runaway Truck Trashes Street Tree on Treat

/ Todd_Lappin / 11 Comments

Bernal Heights is built on the slopes of a hill, and our neighborhood is home to several of the steepest streets in the City. So it should come as no surprise to anyone, really, that runaway cars and trucks are a very real danger here.

Last Friday, a runaway truck caused some havoc on Treat Street just south of Precita Park. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and property damage was minimal, but it could have been much, much worse.

Neighbor Christian shared this report from the scene:

Just another afternoon on the steep incline of the 1500 block of Treat Ave. The truck missed our house by 24″.

The tree was the only thing that stopped it; Otherwise we would have had a living-room filled with other people’s Amazon diapers and music.

Afterward, the block was filled with stories of past runaways. Somehow this truck without brakes threaded the needle between Eddy the dog, a neighbor’s steps, and her car, missing all, and came to rest in the poor tree.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Neighbor Christian

For Sale: The Most San Francisco Car in San Francisco (UPDATED)

/ Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

Residents of northwest Bernal are familiar with the hand-painted Honda that’s often parked near the Coso Triangle; the car is a conspicuous landmark that celebrates our local sports teams, fandom, and San Francisco itself.

Now this rolling monument to San Francisco civic pride can be yours, because a sign on the window says it’s for sale. According to the cashier at Precita Market — a friendly gent who is also the vehicle’s authorized sales agent — the car is owned by a nearby neighbor and can be had for $1500, very negotiable.

Beneath all that amazing paint lies a 1990 Honda Accord with straight bodywork and a 2.2L engine. It appears to be bone-stock, apart from the custom paint job, and a quick peek at the interior revealed it to be in good condition.

You might consider purchasing this vehicle as a daily driver. Or, after a proper buffing and polishing, it would also be rather exquisite on display under tasteful lighting at your favorite folk art, automotive, or sports memorabilia museum.  Your choice.

UPDATE: June 24, 2017  Price cut! According  to the signs on the window, the most San Francisco car in San Francisco can now be had for the LeMons-friendly price of just $500. What a value!

PHOTOS: Telstar Logitics

 

Bernal Dads Launch 24-Hour Super-Express Muni Weekend Service

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Closed course. Non-union driver. Do not attempt in Bernal Heights.

Those fuel-huffing fathers from Bernal Dads Racing are pleased to announce that as part of their effort to move Muni Forward, Bus 670 will offer  24-hour super-express transit service on a trial basis this weekend,  from 11 am on Saturday, March 25 until 11 am Sunday, March 26.

As every SFMTA enthusiast knows, the Muni Forward program is about making it easier and safer to move around San Francisco. Based on feedback from San Francisco transit riders, the Bernal Dads have taken it upon themselves to explore the possibility of providing  faster, more convenient, and more reliable super-express Muni service anytime, day or night.

To accomplish this, Bus 670, a 1992 Volvo 240 wagon fitted for public transit duty and enhanced with a high(er)-performance BMW engine, has been further upgraded with an advanced photon-emission system that enables the vehicle to turn night into day at the flip of a switch. This video was taken during a recent test of the system:

With those modifications complete, Bus 670 will head to Buttonwillow Raceway Park this weekend to study the feasibility of uninterrupted super-express Muni  service by participating in the Lucky Dog Racing League’s “Doggone 24” competition, a continuous, 24-hour endurance race that will provide a realistic simulation of extended-duration rapid transit operation, driver fatigue-management, and intense maneuvering in wheel-to-wheel San Francisco traffic.

“This Muni Forward infrastructure improvement was funded entirely with loose change the Bernal Dads found beneath the cushions of our sofas, with no support whatsoever from Prop A, the bond measure passed by San Francisco voters in 2014. We have listened to Muni riders and look forward to reducing travel times and increasing high-speed service in a rapidly growing city,” said Neighbor Brandon Powell, Bernal Dads Racing’s Director of Advanced Projects.

To monitor this important public transit experiment and get regular NextMuni updates on lap times and anticipated service intervals, aspiring passengers are encouraged to visit Bernal Dads Racing on Facebook throughout the weekend. And as always, thank you for riding Muni.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Bernal Dads Racing

A Letter to Whomever Broke Into This Car Last Week

/ Todd_Lappin / 10 Comments

Last week, after Neighbor Jes parked just south of Cortland Avenue, someone broke in to her car.. There was nothing inside the car worth stealing, so Neighbor Jes wrote this letter to the would-be thief:

To whomever broke into my car Tuesday evening,

Well it’s obvious why you chose my car. Two-toned duck-tape holding up my passenger side mirror, on an old beat-up 2003 Nissan. Absolutely nothing inside but a few cassette tapes which you rummaged through and didn’t seem to appreciate. You stole nothing, but you left me a new umbrella. Thanks kindly.

Neighbors beware. My car was parked on Anderson near jarboe. Looks like the perpetrators were looking for money, any technology, &/or a garage door opener.

Neighbor Jes

PHOTO: Car after the break-in, courtesy of Neighbor Jes

Driver Hits Two Homes Along Precita Avenue

/ Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

precitacarhouse2

There was some morning mayhem along the eastern end of Precita Avenue last Saturday, when an out-of-control car struck a house and a fire hydrant before coming to rest in the wall of another home up the street.

The incident began at around 10 am on Saturday morning, when a Toyota traveling west on Precita swerved from the roadway and bounced off the facade of a home on the 600 block of Precita:

precitacarhouse1

Next, the vehicle sheared off a fire hydrant, sending a column of water into the sky:

precitahydrantsfmoca

The car then continued west for another half-block, until it left the street again and embedded itself in the side of a house on the northwest corner of Precita and Florida.

precitacarhouse3

Police at the scene said two people were in the car, but no one was seriously injured. The driver showed no sign of alcohol- or drug-impairment, and the accident was treated as a motor vehicle violation, not a criminal incident.

PHOTOS: Structural damage photos by Telstar Logistics. Hydrant geyser by @SFMOCA

Accident on Coleridge Highlights Concerns About Speeding Traffic

/ Todd_Lappin / 29 Comments

coleridgecrashnov16

A weekend car accident on Coleridge Avenue (at Heyman) accentuated the concerns that several neighbors have expressed about new traffic patterns that may stem from the creation of the Muni “red carpet” on MIssion Street, one block to the west.

Neighbor Stan tells Bernalwood:

Traffic has increased on Coleridge since the changes were made to Mission. Traffic is heavier, and cars often speed. Looks like it resulted in a fairly serious accident Sunday  morning.

I don’t know for sure, but it appears that the car in the rear was speeding down Coleridge while the car in the front was turning off of Heyman onto Coleridge. I don’t believe anyone was seriously hurt, but a little girl in the front car was very traumatized.

Just wanted to share this, to get feedback from the community on the need for traffic calming on Coleridge.

PHOTO: Car accident on Coleridge, Nov. 13, 2016, by Neighbor Stan

Pedestrian Struck By Car on Crescent Avenue

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

pedestrianhit

A pedestrian was struck by a car yesterday on Crescent Avenue in South Bernal. Daniel Montes from SF Bay reports:

Around 8:10 a.m., officers responded to a report of a crash at Crescent Avenue and Andover Street, police said.

There, officers learned the victim, a 62-year-old man, had run into the crosswalk on Andover Street in order to catch a bus, according to police.

At the same time, a 38-year-old man was driving and came to a stop at Andover Street and Crescent Avenue. He then proceeded through the intersection, where he struck the victim, police said.

The victim suffered injuries to his head and pelvis. He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police.

ALERT! Neighbor Amos Goldbaum’s “Interceptor” Work Vehicle Has Been Stolen

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

amosinterceptor
Well, this sucks.

Amos Goldbaum is a wonderful Bernal artist whose work we have celebrated here often. Neighbor Amos grew up here, and he still lives in Precitaville, and he earns much of his income by selling t-shirts of his work at street fairs and events around the city. To do that, he uses an old parking enforcement Interceptor as his work vehicle to carry merchandise from Bernal to sites around town.

Until now. Neighbor Amos says his Interceptor was stolen yesterday.

There have been a few reported sightings of the vehicle, but if you see it, please tweet Amos with a location, or contact the SFPD at(415) 553-0123.  Grrrrr.

UPDATED: Driver Runs From Rollover Car Crash on Cortland

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

cortlandrollover

Neighbor Meredith captured the scene after an automobile rollover accident incident on Cortland last night:

There was a crazy car accident on Cortland between Elsie and Winfield last night at about 11:40pm. We heard the crash and ran outside to see if anyone was injured, but the driver had fled already!

I don’t know how that was possible in what was about 15 seconds from hearing the crash to seeing the car. I think someone was gunning down Cortland and flipped the car with the front hood crashing into the street and the car landing on its top. It took over an hour for the police/fire to clear the scene.

Thankfully no one else was on the road at the same time.

UPDATE 10:00 pm. Over on the Facebook, Neighbor Kristine shared more details about the incident, and the driver of the car:

This happened almost literally outside my bedroom window.

I scrambled to the window after hearing 3-4 smaller crash sounds and then the big final one. I saw the fellow emerge from the drivers side door and amble off. I’m sure he was in shock, but there’s no way he was not also drunk with the way he was moving his body. with determination he wandered (“run” is much too generous”) up Windfield, clearly abandoning the scene.

Neighbors were already gathering at the time and a fellow was trying to talk to him and ask him questions. it wasn’t even obvious at first that he was “fleeing” because he was moving so slowly. the neighbor was distracted by the intensity of seeing the car upside down and the driver kept walking/jogging/skipping.

it was about a minute later that the various neighbors helped the passenger get out of the car. I clearly heard him say that he didn’t know the driver, they had just met and he’d simply accepted his offer of a ride. he gestured west, downhill toward Mission St, as where they had met and had been coming from. I’m sure he was also in shock, but he was surely inebriated as well.

There was a truck parked on Cortland that was hit and leaking gas. I didn’t see the crash itself, but it’s amazing that the driver was able to damage a parked car to his right while also still having enough momentum to completely flip his own vehicle upside down.

I am SO grateful that myself nor another cyclist didn’t happen to be riding on Cortland at the time. I hope this incredibly reckless individual is caught and thoroughly prosecuted.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Neighbor Meredith