Yuan Jun Zhu Killed in Tow Truck Accident Near Rossi Playground in San Francisco

Yuan Jun Zhu, 80, Was Crossing in a Crosswalk Steps From Rossi Playground When a Turning Tow Truck Struck Him

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA (November 6, 2026) – An 80-year-old pedestrian identified as Yuan Jun Zhu was killed in a tow truck accident near Rossi Pool and Playground in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond neighborhood.

San Francisco County officials are saying that the crash occurred around 2:08 p.m. on Monday, September 28. Yuan Jun Zhu was crossing the street at the intersection of Anza Street and Arguello Boulevard, according to KRON4.

A tow truck driver turning from Arguello Boulevard onto Anza Street struck Zhu in the crosswalk, police told the advocacy group Walk San Francisco, Mission Local reported. Officers from the Richmond Station arrived and rendered aid before paramedics took him to a local hospital.

Yuan Jun Zhu died from his injuries at the hospital. The city medical examiner later identified him.

The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, and no arrests have been made, according to police. Mayor Daniel Lurie said he was deeply saddened by the death, which Walk San Francisco counted as the city’s 13th pedestrian fatality of 2026.

Arguello Boulevard north of Geary Boulevard remains on the city’s High Injury Network, the streets where severe and fatal crashes are most concentrated, according to the SFMTA. In early 2024, a pedestrian was killed at Fulton Street and Arguello, an intersection Walk San Francisco described as a known danger where many children and seniors cross.

The city funded an Arguello safety project in 2023 after a cyclist was killed on the corridor, but advocates complained in 2025 that the work continued to linger.

Families may want to know whether the Anza Street crossing had features like leading pedestrian signals or daylighting, and whether planned improvements might have reached it. It is also worth asking what training and visibility equipment the tow company provided for turns through busy crosswalks.

Liability for San Francisco Pedestrian Accidents

California Vehicle Code § 21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians crossing within any marked crosswalk or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. The same statute requires drivers approaching a pedestrian in a crosswalk to use all due care and slow down or take any other action needed to keep that person safe. Under California’s negligence per se doctrine, a driver who violates a safety law like this one may be presumed negligent when the violation causes the kind of harm the law was meant to prevent. Companies that put drivers on the road can also be held responsible for an employee’s negligence while on the job. Responsibility for a crosswalk collision often turns on several common factors:

• Right-of-way: Turning drivers must yield to anyone already in the crosswalk, even when they have a green light.
• Visibility: Large trucks have blind spots near the front corners, so drivers must take extra care when turning near pedestrians.
• Employer duties: Towing and trucking companies must hire, train, and supervise drivers responsibly and maintain their vehicles’ mirrors and cameras.
• Street design: Public agencies can share responsibility when a dangerous condition of public property contributes to a crash.
• Evidence: Traffic camera footage, signal timing records, and vehicle data can establish exactly how a turn unfolded.

California courts have long recognized that pedestrians in a crosswalk may rely on drivers to follow the law. In Novak v. Dewar, decided in 1961, the California Supreme Court reviewed a case involving a woman struck in a marked crosswalk in Oxnard while crossing on a green light. The driver was making a left turn and testified that he did not see her until he was about to strike her. The court held that the driver was negligent as a matter of law for failing to yield and that the pedestrian was entitled to assume drivers would respect her right-of-way. The ruling remains a foundation for holding turning drivers accountable when they fail to watch for people in the crosswalk.

Protecting Older Pedestrians at Intersections

Older adults face some of the greatest dangers on city streets. In 2023, 7,891 people aged 65 and older were killed in traffic crashes nationwide, accounting for 19% of all traffic deaths, according to NHTSA. Older pedestrians are also more likely than younger ones to be killed at intersections, since only 70% of their deaths occurred away from intersections compared to 85% for people under 65. In California, older adults made up 18.8% of all pedestrians killed in 2021, according to UC Berkeley’s SafeTREC. Several safety measures can make crossings safer for older residents:

• Head starts: Leading pedestrian intervals give walkers a few seconds in the crosswalk before turning traffic gets a green light.
• Daylighting: Keeping parked vehicles away from the corners helps drivers see people stepping off the curb.
• Slower turns: Tighter corners and hardened centerlines force drivers to turn at lower speeds.
• Longer signals: Crossing times set for slower walkers give seniors enough time to reach the other side safely.
• Reporting hazards: Residents can report faded crosswalks, broken signals, and blocked sightlines to the city through 311.

Older pedestrians are more vulnerable to serious injury, and street design can either protect them or leave them exposed. Commercial drivers, who often operate large vehicles with limited visibility, carry a special responsibility at busy intersections. When cities know a corridor is dangerous, delays in safety improvements can leave pedestrians at risk for years. Families who lose a loved one in a crosswalk have the right to pursue accountability from every party whose choices contributed to the loss. They are also entitled to answers about how the crash happened and whether it could have been prevented.

Investigating Pedestrian Accidents in San Francisco

We at Feher Law offer our deepest condolences to the family of Yuan Jun Zhu. We hope this tragedy leads to accountability and to the safety improvements that would protect others crossing Arguello Boulevard. The crash raises serious safety concerns about turning commercial vehicles near busy crosswalks. What would it take to make the crossings along Arguello Boulevard safe for the seniors and children who use them every day?

Have you or a loved one been affected by a pedestrian or truck accident in the Inner Richmond or elsewhere in San Francisco? California law requires drivers to yield to people in crosswalks, and families can hold drivers, their employers, and other responsible parties accountable when that duty is ignored. Insurers for commercial vehicle companies often move quickly to shape the story in their favor. Our team of safety advocates and accident investigators can help you understand what happened, from traffic camera footage and signal timing data to the truck’s maintenance and driver records. If you have questions about your rights or need help understanding your options, we’re here for you anytime at (424) 433-4412.