Blog Post

San Francisco's Muni Rail Accident Toll Mounting


January 18, 2008
Topic: Train Accidents

San Francisco's cityscape would be unimaginable without its streetcars. The Munis run by the San Francisco Municipal Railway are an important means of transport for the city's residents.

In recent years, however they have become a source of death and injury, with one particularly grisly death marking the first of the year. A man was dragged by a Muni streetcar for close to two blocks after he tripped and fell. He died instantly.

Muni-related fatalities have been on the increase in recent years. 2007 was a particularly tragic year - a total of 8 people were killed by Munis. In at least three of the cases police say, the pedestrians were at fault. In one however, a Muni driver was charged with vehicular manslaughter, and in two other accidents, blame hasn't been determined yet.

The Municipal Transportation Agency, which is in charge of the Munis says drivers who have been involved in fatality-causing accidents are forced to undergo retraining or even fired outright.

Strangely there's no information forthcoming when asked what happened to Cecilia Hariston, a driver who was charged with vehicular manslaughter in the death of Kenji Sujuki. It does seem like the Municipal Transportation Agency isn't saying all it knows about certain accidents. They say it doesn't make it easier when Munis, pedestrians and cars, all jostle for space on the same roads.

There are other factors besides pedestrian carelessness to blame here. Areas like the intersection between Ninth Avenue and Irving Street are particularly prone to Muni-related accidents. Locals have been pressing city officials to make changes to the intersection to avoid the dangers of pedestrians being run over, but without much success.

If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a train accident, you need the experience of a California personal injury attorney on your side. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.