A man was charged with vehicular manslaughter in connection with a March crash in San Francisco’s Chinatown that killed a pedestrian and injured another person, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Zhuo Ming Lu, 76, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to all charges and denied the allegations, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
He was released on his own recognizance and ordered not to drive, to surrender his driver’s license and passport, and face a possible license suspension by the Department of Motor Vehicles, prosecutors said.
The charge stems from a March 27 collision near Grant Avenue and Jackson Street, where police said Lu was trying to park when his vehicle struck two pedestrians on the sidewalk and then crashed into a building.
One of the pedestrians, identified by the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office as 49-year-old Cutberto Zamora-Martinez of San Joaquin County, died at a hospital. A second adult victim was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said.
The crash also damaged New Lun Ting Cafe, also known as Pork Chop House, a longtime Chinatown restaurant, at the corner.
Prosecutors charged Lu with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter while driving in the commission of unlawful acts – specifically driving on the sidewalk and driving at an unsafe speed – without gross negligence, according to the DA’s office.
Police said Lu remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Alcohol and drugs were not believed to be factors in the crash.
The case remains under investigation. Lu’s next court date is scheduled for Sept. 30 for a pretrial hearing.
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This article originally published at Driver charged with vehicular manslaughter in fatal San Francisco Chinatown crash.