SF driver who killed family of 4 wants judge to reduce felony charges to misdemeanors
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- There are new details on the case of a family of four that was killed in San Francisco's West Portal neighborhood in 2024. The then-78-year-old driver who crashed into them is pleading for a lesser charge.
Almost two years after his sister Matilde, her husband Diego, and their two young children were killed while waiting for their bus to head to the San Francisco Zoo, Luis Ramos Pinto spoke to ABC7 News about the pain they've endured.
"It wasn't just my sister and her family that died. Part of us all died," said Luis Ramos Pinto.
On Friday, a judge will decide to grant or deny the driver, Mary Fong Lau's request for her felony charges to be reduced to misdemeanor counts.
MORE: Driver faces felony charges in West Portal crash that killed family of 4
"We're vehemently against them, because no evidence has been provided that would suggest this isn't gross negligence," said Ramos Pinto. "I would like to see this person tried and suffer, be held accountable and responsible for her actions."
In July of 2024, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged Lau with four counts of felony vehicular manslaughter. She pleaded not guilty.
Ahead of Friday's hearing, the DA's office confirmed, "Prosecutors have filed a motion opposing that request."
"If the court agrees and drops these charges, she could have acted with gross negligence in taking four lives and have just misdemeanor charges that would look to us and appear to, I think, most people would be looking at this as a basic slap on the wrist for having taken four lives," said attorney Jim Quadra with Quadra & Coll, LLP.
Quadra represents the victim's family in civil court. They accuse Lau of secretly transferring assets to protect them from their wrongful death lawsuit.
MORE: SF unveils improvements to West Portal Station following tragic bus stop crash
"They have admitted to transferring the property and have now returned some of them. There are still some that have not been returned," said Quadra.
He said the civil case is on pause as they wait for the criminal case.
Quadra is urging the judge to remember Lau was driving anywhere between 60-70 miles an hour in the residential area where she crashed.
"She has given no explanation as to why she was driving at that rate of speed, and she didn't make any efforts to veer, stop, honk, or do anything to avoid the collision," said Quadra.
We contacted Mary Lau's attorney multiple times and were told he was unavailable for interviews or to provide a statement. The victim's family said they will be traveling from Portugal to be in court on Friday.
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