The driver accused of hitting and killing two parents and their young children at a bus stop in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood two years ago was sentenced Friday.
Mary Fong Lau, 81, recently took a plea deal and was sentenced to two years probation, six days in county jail with credit for time served, and 200 hours of community service. Her license will be revoked for three years.
While laying out the reasons for his sentencing decision, Superior Court Judge Bruce Chan said of Lau, “nothing in the entirety of the defendant’s past could have predicted this event.”
About half of the courtroom was filled with friends and family members of the victims. Included in the group was the mother of Matilde and grandmother of the two children who died as well as the brother and sister of Diego, the father of the children. They were not happy with the sentence imposed by the judge.
Chan reasoned Lau had no prior criminal history, she has cooperated with the court, and she seemed to show remorse.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office pushed to have at least one year of home confinement.
“Simply because you are elderly does not mean that there shouldn’t be sufficient accountability,” she said. “I think that’s what my office’s position remains to be, is that there has to be a form of accountability that actually gives this family a sense of justice, that sends a message to other drivers on the roads of San Francisco that you have to be careful.”
In a lengthy victims’ impact statement, Luis Ramos Pinto, the brother of Matilde, pleaded with Chan to reconsider not imposing home confinement and forcing Lau to change her plea from no contest to guilty. In the end, Chan did not change his mind on his sentencing decision.
Toward the end of the hearing, Lau addressed the family and said she was sorry for what happened. Her attorney said she has no intention of ever driving again.