The tour bus company involved in the death of a San Francisco city employee Thursday said Friday it would conduct a parallel investigation into the collision.
Meanwhile, a San Francisco supervisor is calling for pedestrian safety improvements in the area.
Priscila "Precy" Moreto was an employee at the city Controller's Office, where she worked as an accountant, according to Mayor Ed Lee's Office.
Moreto, a 68-year-old San Francisco resident, was struck by a Classic Cable Car trolley bus in a crosswalk at the corner of Polk and McAllister streets at around 11:30 a.m., according to police.
Chris Connors, General Manager of the Classic Cable Car Charters, extended his "heartfelt" condolences to Moreto's family for what he called a "tragic accident."
"We are committed to working with the authorities in their investigation, and we are conducting a parallel investigation within our company to understand what happened," Connors said.
San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim also weighed in on the death, saying it demonstrated a need for pedestrian safety improvements in the area.
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"This is another deeply painful tragedy that could have been avoided," Kim said. "I have long been a supporter of the Polk Street Improvement Project to slow down car traffic and prioritize pedestrians and cyclists along this high-injury corridor."
The Polk Street Improvement Project would add "bulb-outs" at crosswalks to give pedestrians greater visibility and slow traffic, optimize Muni bus stops, and add a protected bike lane, bicycle traffic signals, and red zones at intersections to improve visibility, according to the SFMTA website.
"We should absolutely take this opportunity to apply this smart design to the City Hall block of Polk Street -- it could save a life," Kim said.
Nicole Schneider, who is with the pedestrian advocacy group "Walk San Francisco," said the crosswalk Moreto was in is along onr of the city's more dangerous streets.
Mayor Ed Lee also released a statement calling the incident "tragic."
“This incident is tragic and also reminds us that we all have a shared responsibility to protect and care for one another on our busy streets,” Lee said. “Precy was a dedicated employee who served our city and residents with great distinction. Our thoughts and prayers remain with her family, friends and colleagues during this time of mourning.”
