San Francisco driver charged with murder in fatal pedestrian crash

A 29-year-old driver, David Maldonado Sanabria, has been charged with second-degree murder following a fatal collision in San Francisco’s Excelsior neighborhood. The incident occurred on October 1 at the intersection of Moscow Street and France Avenue when Sanabria allegedly ran a stop sign in a Dodge Ram truck, striking 43-year-old Nicolas Montejo Lopez as he walked through a crosswalk.

Lopez was hospitalized for 17 days before passing away on October 18. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stated that the murder charge is predicated on Sanabria’s criminal history, noting he has two prior DUI convictions. Witnesses reported that after the impact, the driver slowed down to look at the victim before fleeing the scene.

San Francisco Police utilized Automated License Plate Readers to locate the suspect vehicle three miles from the crash site shortly after the incident. The District Attorney’s office is filing a motion to hold Sanabria in custody pending trial, citing a significant risk to public safety. The death marks the 14th pedestrian fatality in San Francisco this year.