Horrific crash into San Francisco Mission sports bar parklet raises police pursuit questions
After a police pursuit ended with a suspect vehicle crashing into a parklet outside a popular Mission District bar Sunday afternoon, people are cleaning up and trying to make sense of the situation.
The crash that left six people hospitalized happened outside the Napper Tandy located at the corner of 24th St. and South Van Ness Ave. just as the Super Bowl started. The owner of the bar, Marissa McGarr, said initially she didn't know what happened.
"I actually thought it was an earthquake or something," said McGarr. "Just a big bang, and then smoke."
The damaged remains of the parklet were almost unrecognizable. The roof fell in and a mother and her child were among the injured.
San Francisco police officers had spotted a wanted vehicle in the area of Buckingham Way and Winston Drive near the Stonestown Galleria just after 3 p.m. When officers approached, the vehicle took off, leading police in a pursuit that ended with the collision.
Everyone who was injured in the Sunday crash is expected to make a full recovery.
"I heard the sirens and I got the alert through our cell phones," said Isai Cuevas.
Cuevas owns Donaji Restaurant, which has its own parklet just down 24th St. from where the crash happened. Now he's unsure what to do with it.
"Is it really worth it?" Cuevas questioned. "Is it really working for us now?"
Police say the pursuit reached speeds of 45 miles per hour.
Cuevas told CBS News Bay Area thinks the the city should re-evaluate Proposition E, which voters approved in November election last year. It allows police to initiate a pursuit if they believe the suspect is involved in any felony or a violent misdemeanor.
The previous policy restricted chases to violent felonies, or if police believed a suspect posed an imminent threat to the public.
"I think in neighborhoods it shouldn't happen, to be honest," said Cuevas. "It puts more people in danger. I don't think it will work, and I'm sure there is going to be a review of that situation through this incident."
Supporters of Prop E say it helps improve public safety, but Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who represents the district, has concerns.
"I continue to have serious questions related to why SFPD needed to engage in a dangerous high-speed chase in a residential neighborhood that sent six people to the hospital and could have killed someone," said Fielder in a statement to CBS Bay Area.
SFPD has not commented on whether Sunday's chase was allowed under the updated guidelines. Luke Bornheimer, the executive director of Streets Forward, believes the crash may not have happened if it wasn't for Prop E.
"I think this is the unfortunate result of a policy allowing police chases that decreases public safety, ironically, and puts everyone in danger," said Bornheimer.
Despite that, Bornheimer is disappointed that multiple businesses are rethinking their parklets.
"I think parklets have actually been a tremendous addition to the city," he said. "I think the city should be doing more to incentivize and encourage businesses to create parklets."
But Cuevas says at this point it's just too difficult to keep them safe. He noted that his restaurant's parklet has been damaged multiple times.
"We have the bumper. This got vandalized. They took part of it. We have the reflecting tapes," said Cuevas.
In the end, he believe it may make more sense to remove it.
There was no word yet on whether the Napper Tandy plans to rebuild its parklet.
The two women who were in the vehicle -- identified as 32-year-old Taylor Ross of San Francisco and 29-year-old Eureeka Abrams of Bay Point -- were arrested.
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