Lowell High School student Henren Chang killed by alleged drunk driver over weekend
A 17-year-old Lowell High School student was struck and killed by an alleged drunken driver late Saturday night on Sloat Boulevard, a roadway that has been earmarked for safety improvements.
Henren Chang, 17, of San Francisco was walking north across Sloat at Vale Avenue about 11:20 p.m. when she was hit by a westbound car and, police spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy said Monday.
She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Shyy said.
The driver, 29-year-old Kieran Brewer of San Francisco, reportedly remained at the scene and cooperated with police investigators. He was then booked into County Jail on felony charges of DUI and vehicular manslaughter, Shyy said.
The intersection at Sloat and Vale has a crosswalk, but it does not have stoplights or a stop sign for vehicles driving across Sloat.
On Monday, friends of Chang had erected a memorial at the intersection right below a sign that states it is law for drivers to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
Both students and faculty were heartbroken by the news.
“I was excited to see what she was going to do,” Chang’s track coach Andy Leong said. “She was working hard.”
She was scheduled to compete in her first meet later this week. She had started practicing with the team in January. Leong said Chang had run on the school’s cross-country team previously, and was working on long-distance track running.
The coach said Chang’s boyfriend is on the track team, and he called the coach to tell him the news of Chang’s death.
“He’s taking it pretty hard,” Leong said.
Track teammates were having an easy practice today, and were given the option to not attend practice after hearing about Chang, Leong said. “I was told she loved running,” he said.
Sloat Boulevard is a busy east-west thoroughfare that has pedestrian safety improvements planned. Today, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to vote to authorize $797,000 in federal money toward the upgrades.
If you have been arrested for a DUI the Law Offices of Daniel R. Perlman can help. Please contact a Los Angeles DUI Attorney today to have your case reviewed.
Source: San Francisco Examiner “Lowell High School student Henren Chang killed by alleged drunk driver over weekend,” March 4, 2013.
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