An Elderly Driver Killed A Family Of Four — What Happened Next Is Pure San Francisco

An elderly woman will likely face only probation and keep her license after allegedly killing a family of four while driving, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.

Prosecutors said Mary Fong Lau, 80, crashed into a West Portal bus stop in March 2024 and killed the family of four, who were waiting to go to the San Francisco zoo according to local Bay Area outlet KPIX, a CBS affiliate. A San Francisco Superior Court judge said Lau’s sentence would “likely be two to three years of probation,” the Chronicle reported.

Lau changed her plea from “not guilty” to “no contest” on Friday, according to court records.

Seven months after the deadly crash, then-Democratic San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin held a ceremony celebrating the installation of “safety upgrades,” referring to several traffic bollards around the West Portal bus stop. SFMTA had a budget of over $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024.

Breed lost reelection in November 2024 to Democratic San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, Joaquim Ramos Pinto de Oliveira, Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto and Caue Ramos Pinto de Oliveira were all killed when Lau’s vehicle reportedly crashed into the bus stop at 70 miles per hour.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Bruce Chan said “his duty was to balance the deaths with the other factors of the case,” including Lau’s age, lack of criminal record and remorse, according to the Chronicle.

“Mrs. Lau is going to spend the rest of her days living with the knowledge of the harm she has caused to others,” Chan added.

The parents of Diego and and Matilde filed a wrongful death suit in July 2024 seeking damages for the loss of “love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, affection, society and moral support,” according to the Chronicle. Siblings of the parents also reportedly asked the judge to “consider revoking” Lau’s driver license and placing her on home arrest.

Diego’s sister, Denise Oliviera, told the outlet, “It feels like we have no rights. I feel deeply disrespected by this process. It doesn’t feel like this is justice.”