The San Francisco district attorney said it is holding off on charges while an investigation continues into Sunday night's deadly multi-car crash.
A 66-year-old man was arrested for allegedly causing the crash that also killed a dog in the city's South of Market neighborhood, police said. The San Francisco medical examiner identified the victim as Mikhael Romanenko, who was 27 years old and a San Francisco resident.
Around 6:10 p.m., emergency responders received a call about a collision at Sixth and Harrison streets in which seven vehicles and eight people were impacted. A black Tesla allegedly crashed into multiple cars, including a self-driving Waymo that was damaged, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department said.
Jia Lin Zheng was booked into jail Monday on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving causing injury, speeding, and felony vandalism. He was given no bond.
Romanenko and the dog were pronounced dead at the scene. Police said several people were taken to the hospital, including Zheng, who was detained before being booked into jail.
The San Francisco Police Department said they are working to figure out if Zheng's same black Tesla was involved in a separate hit-and-run involving multiple vehicles on northbound Interstate 280 that occurred "moments before" the fatal collision.
Investigators are still trying to determine if alcohol and/or drugs were factors in the collision.
"At this point my office is not going to be able to file charges just yet," San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said.
Jenkins said there are two big reasons for the wait-and-see approach.
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According to the DA, Zhang told investigators he tried stopping, but the breaks in his Tesla did not respond. Verifying that claim will take time.
"That requires a significant vehicle inspection, generally done by the manufacturer of the vehicle," Jenkins said. "It requires accident reconstruction. We need to figure out how fast he was going and a download of the black box that was in the vehicle."
Romanenko worked at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, where on Wednesday a colleague said they all called him Misha and shared the following statement: "Misha was a valued team member for his talent, dedication and collaborative spirit. He was not only a talented engineer, but also a wonderful person who will be greatly missed."
Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact the Police Department at (415) 575-4444 or to text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
Bay City News contributed to this report.