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Fatal Crash Adult Injury February 27, 2026 Mission Bay, San Francisco, CA

2-Year-Old Girl Killed, Mother Injured After Being Struck by Vehicle in Crosswalk at 4th and Channel Streets in San Francisco – February 27, 2026

A 2-year-old girl was struck and killed by a vehicle while crossing in a crosswalk at 4th and Channel Streets in San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood on the evening of Friday, February 27, 2026. The child's mother, who was with her, was also struck and transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver remained at the scene. San Francisco Police Department is investigating. The crash marked the third pedestrian death in San Francisco in 2026.

Incident Summary

Type
Vehicle Strikes Two Pedestrians in Crosswalk
Location
4th Street & Channel Street, Mission Bay / Mission Rock, San Francisco
Date
February 27, 2026
Time
Approximately 8:55 p.m.
Victim 1
Female, 2 years old — pronounced dead at hospital
Victim 2
Mother — non-life-threatening injuries, hospitalized
Description
Mother and daughter crossing in crosswalk; struck by vehicle
Driver
Remained at scene, cooperating with investigators
DUI / Drugs
Not believed to be factors (per SFPD)
Road Status
4th Street — on SF's High Injury Network
Agency
San Francisco Police Department — investigation ongoing

Crash Location

Open in Google Maps

What Happened

On the evening of Friday, February 27, 2026, San Francisco Police Department officers were dispatched to the intersection of 4th and Channel Streets in the Mission Bay neighborhood at approximately 8:55 p.m. following reports of a vehicle striking two pedestrians. Upon arrival, officers found a 2-year-old girl and her mother injured in the roadway — both had been struck while crossing in the crosswalk.

Both victims were transported to a local hospital. Despite life-saving efforts by first responders, the 2-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her mother was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. San Francisco police stated that alcohol and drugs did not appear to be factors in the crash.

The crash drew an immediate community response. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie issued a statement calling the loss of the child heartbreaking and extending condolences to the family. Pedestrian safety advocates Walk San Francisco organized a community vigil at the crash location on the following Monday, March 2, and identified it as the third pedestrian death in San Francisco in 2026 — following a 76-year-old woman struck on February 3 and a 47-year-old woman killed on February 14, both at Bayshore Boulevard. SFMTA crews were also dispatched to the intersection Monday morning to repaint the crosswalks and traffic markings.

A Street That Was Already Known to Be Dangerous

The crash at 4th and Channel Streets did not occur on an obscure or poorly studied road. The section of 4th Street where the crash occurred is formally designated on San Francisco's 2022 High Injury Network — the 12% of city streets where 68% of all severe and fatal traffic crashes occur. The city had already identified this corridor as dangerous. Since 2016, there had been nine other reported traffic crashes at the intersection of 4th and Channel Streets alone.

The tragedy at this location follows an eerily similar one: in 2023, a 4-year-old girl was struck and killed by a driver less than 0.2 miles away at the nearby intersection of 4th and King Streets. Mission Bay is one of San Francisco's fastest-growing neighborhoods, densely populated with new housing and young families, yet 4th Street in this stretch remains 50 feet wide — three vehicle travel lanes built for a prior era when the area was largely warehouses and vacant lots, not a neighborhood full of children.

Advocates and residents have pointed out that SFMTA had a Mission Bay school access study and a proposed traffic-calming project sitting on file at the time of the crash — reports that identified the highway-like features of this corridor as incompatible with a school zone and noted the lack of protected crossings for pedestrians. The question of whether the city took adequate action to address known, documented dangers at this location is a critical legal issue for the family.

Legal Options for the Family

Wrongful Death Claim Against the Driver

The parents of the child have the right to file a wrongful death claim against the driver whose vehicle struck and killed their daughter while she was crossing in a marked crosswalk. A driver has an absolute duty to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk under California Vehicle Code § 21950. The family can seek compensation for the loss of the child's love, companionship, comfort, and society — recognized under California law as the primary damages when a young child is killed — as well as funeral expenses, medical costs, and related losses.

Government Liability Claim — Dangerous Condition of Public Property

Because 4th Street at this location was formally listed on San Francisco's own High Injury Network, and because SFMTA had an unfulfilled traffic-calming study specific to this corridor on file, there may be grounds for a dangerous condition of public property claim against the City and County of San Francisco under California Government Code § 835. When a government entity has prior, documented notice that a specific location poses a foreseeable danger to pedestrians — and fails to act — it can be held liable for resulting deaths. Critical: claims against government entities in California must be filed within six months of the incident. The family should consult an attorney immediately to preserve this avenue.

Personal Injury Claim for the Mother

The mother who was struck and hospitalized has her own independent personal injury claim for her medical expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress — including the profound trauma of witnessing her child's death in the crash. This claim is separate from the wrongful death claim and can proceed alongside it. California courts recognize the full scope of injuries a surviving parent can sustain, including psychological harm.

Pedestrian Safety in San Francisco

3rd
Pedestrian death in San Francisco in 2026 — the child's death followed two other fatal pedestrian crashes in February alone, underscoring what advocates call a continuing crisis on the city's streets
Walk San Francisco media advisory, March 2026
9+
Reported traffic crashes at the intersection of 4th and Channel Streets since 2016 alone — on a stretch of road San Francisco had already formally designated as part of its High Injury Network
Walk SF / SFMTA crash data, via Streetsblog SF
12%
Share of San Francisco streets that make up the High Injury Network — yet those streets account for 68% of all severe and fatal traffic crashes citywide, concentrating danger on corridors like 4th Street
San Francisco High Injury Network Map, 2022
24
Pedestrian deaths in San Francisco in 2024 — the most since 2007, according to city and media tallies, in a city that has pledged to eliminate traffic deaths through its Vision Zero program
CBS News / SF pedestrian fatality data, 2024

Notable Verdicts and Settlements in San Francisco Pedestrian Cases

$4M
Child wrongful death verdict — California case recognizing significant damages for the loss of a child's companionship and society
California child WD
$40M
Verdict for a 24-year-old pedestrian killed while walking home — wrongful death action against a government entity whose employee was driving at excessive speed while on duty; 2024
California 2024
$1.9M
Kaplan v. City and County of San Francisco — jury verdict for brain injuries when a San Francisco Muni bus struck a pedestrian; government entity liability established
San Francisco / govt

The above are publicly reported verdicts and settlements from pedestrian and wrongful death cases in California and San Francisco. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. The government liability case and the $4M child wrongful death verdict illustrate the range of claims available — each requires its own detailed analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can file a wrongful death claim in California after a child is killed?
Under California law, the parents of a child killed due to someone else's negligence have the right to file a wrongful death claim. Parents can seek compensation for the loss of their child's companionship, society, and comfort — as well as funeral and burial expenses, medical costs incurred before death, and related damages. The general deadline is two years from the date of death, but a government tort claim deadline is only six months.
Can the City of San Francisco be held responsible for dangerous street conditions?
Potentially, yes. When a government entity has prior documented notice that a location is dangerous — as San Francisco did through its own High Injury Network designation and unfulfilled traffic-calming studies for this corridor — and fails to take adequate corrective action, a claim for dangerous condition of public property under California Government Code § 835 may be available. Claims against the city must be filed within six months of the incident. The family should consult an attorney immediately to preserve this option.
What compensation can the family of a child killed in a pedestrian crash recover?
California law allows the parents of a child killed due to driver negligence to recover for the loss of the child's love, companionship, comfort, care, and society. They can also recover funeral costs and medical expenses incurred before death. While young children don't have lost-earnings claims, California courts and juries recognize the profound non-economic losses parents suffer when a child is killed, and these cases can result in substantial recoveries.
Can the mother injured in the same crash also file a personal injury claim?
Yes. The mother has her own independent personal injury claim for her physical injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, and the severe emotional trauma of the crash — including witnessing the death of her child. This claim is entirely separate from the wrongful death claim and can proceed simultaneously, handled by the same attorney.

Related Resources

Practice Area
Wrongful Death Attorney
Fighting for San Francisco families who have lost a loved one — including children — due to driver negligence or dangerous road conditions.
Practice Area
Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Representing pedestrians and their families throughout California after crashes in crosswalks and on city streets.
Knowledge Hub
Fatal Pedestrian Accidents & Wrongful Death Claims
What families need to know about pursuing a wrongful death claim — including the six-month deadline for government entity claims — after a fatal pedestrian crash in California.
Knowledge Hub
Wrongful Death Claims in California
Who can file, what damages are available, and how California's wrongful death process works — including claims for the loss of a child.

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