Neighbor Fiid from Highland Ave. saw the aftermath of a rather nasty collision between an SUV and one of MUNI’s modern Breda streetcars last night on San Jose Avenue at the entrance to the Bernal Cut. Here’s Neighbor Fiid’s report, filed in Bernalwood Action News mode:
Location is San Jose Avenue at the Shell station (north end). The SUV drove up the middle of the platform instead of either side, and ran out of concrete where it drops to just tracks and gravel. Then it either hit or got hit by the train.
Not 100% clear what the chain of events was. Officer at the scene said that this happens quite frequently (less than once per month – so maybe 6-10 times a year??).
The SUV is totalled; but the occupant(s) were unscathed. The Breda had its mating connector damaged, and there was a damaged panel, and some boxes zip-tied up underneath to enable a “get it home” strategy. (Just like the Bernal Dads!)
Could easily have been nastier, but totally avoidable.
From the Highland Bureau: signing out.
PHOTOS: Neighbor Fiid
Bernalwood 
TESTING: I believe that the DMV should license private companies (such as they do with smog testing) to test drivers every couple years. Few of us have had driving tests since we got our first licenses at age 16 or thereabouts. There are way too many people doing really stupid things and endangering the lives of all of us.
RFI to David Kaye. Please submit your driving record to Bernalwood community immediately, including current daily vehicle and service records.
agreed! they give out licenses like candy on halloween
It might be a start if we had a real driving test to begin with. In the land I hail from only about 35% of candidates pass on the first try: it’s significantly harder than the test here.
I agree with David!
The driver was most likely texting, I see it much of the time when riding my bike down Valencia and even tonight a woman was texting as she was turning right on a red light from Cortland to Mission. One cannot multi-task when driving. I agree with David too!
Yeah, maybe texting, but I can tell you that the cops are right: It happens a lot. About ten years ago while biking south (in the bike lane before it had the plastic pylons) I was hit by a truck that was rubber necking — and therefore listing to the right — at a northbound car that had jumped into the tracks.
High speed off the highway. I’ve seen two other cars in that set of tracks since that first time.
Happy to have those, albeit flimsy, plastic pylons. Looking forward to SF catching up to European cities where bikes have even more protection, like separated and elevated lanes.
Poor train!! Hopefully the huge truck can not be repaired, and will be taken off the road in favor of a less trashy vehicle. And ideally the driver of that heap has her license permanently revoked, never to endanger citizens again.
“The more you drive, the less intelligent you are.” -Repo Man
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