January 1, Elderly Driver Gets Probation After Deadly Crash

Wyatt’s Take

• An 80-year-old woman is expected to receive probation after a crash killed a family of four in San Francisco.
• The city focused on minimal safety upgrades after the tragedy.
• The victims’ families say the punishment doesn’t feel like justice.

An elderly woman named Mary Fong Lau will likely get a light sentence and keep her license after a deadly car crash in San Francisco. Prosecutors said Lau crashed into a bus stop in March 2024, killing a family of four who were simply waiting to go to the zoo.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Bruce Chan said Lau’s sentence would “likely be two to three years of probation.” Lau changed her plea from “not guilty” to “no contest.”

City officials held a ceremony seven months after the crash to celebrate new “safety upgrades” at the site, putting up a handful of plastic bollards. The transportation agency’s budget was over $1.5 billion that year.

Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, Joaquim Ramos Pinto de Oliveira, Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto, and Caue Ramos Pinto de Oliveira lost their lives when Lau’s vehicle slammed into the bus stop at 70 miles per hour.

According to Judge Chan, “his duty was to balance the deaths with the other factors of the case,” considering Lau’s age, clean record, and her remorse.

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

The parents of Diego and Matilde filed a wrongful death suit, seeking damages for the loss of support and love. Some relatives asked the court to consider taking Lau’s license and placing her under home arrest.

Diego’s sister Denise Oliviera said,

“It feels like we have no rights. I feel deeply disrespected by this process. It doesn’t feel like this is justice.”

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Wyatt Matters

When accountability takes a back seat, ordinary families pay the price. Real justice and common-sense safety are what our communities need most.

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