BIKE NOPA has just posted details on the SFPD police report and the District Attorney’s response to the death of pedestrian Melissa Dennison, killed by a collision at the intersection of Fell and Broderick on September 15th, 2009.
The intersection of Fell and Broderick
Personally, I’m thinking the SFPD could have done a better job with the photos they released of the two suspects in last week’s tragedy in the Sunset District. Anyway, find an effort at enhancing the photos below.
The very wide and usually quiet Moraga Street:
Here’s Polly’s versions of the SFPD-released captures:
Click to expand
That’s it, there aren’t any official updates for this case.
*Moraga Avenue isn’t in the Avenues, it’s in the Presidio, for some reason.
Well there’s a whole lot I don’t know about this incident involving a purported cocaine smuggler killed on January 19th, 2010 somewhere in the “Eastern Pacific Ocean.” But, apparently, this smuggler and his boat weren’t too far away from Guatemala City because that’s where he ended up dying after the Coast Guard shot at his engine with a massive rifle mounted on a helicopter.
Feel free to read the account below – it was just released from the 11th District HQ in Alameda, They’re looking into the theory that the purported smuggler died due to “engine fragment or shrapnel injuries.”
Did this shooting get any coverage in Guatemala? No se. Did this shooting get much coverage in any English language publication? Not that I can see. Do the Coasties have video of all this? Oh yes, I’m sure. Does the Coast Guard even know this guy’s name? Maybe not, they haven’t released it, anyway.
Here’s your 21st century Coast Guard – a machine gun for warning shots…
…and when you ignore that, a massive rifle to take out your engine block, presumably a Barrett M82 .50 cal.
I don’t have a photo of one of those helicopter-mounted rifles, but how would you like .50 caliber rifle bullets like these sailing by your head from a chopper one at time?
Click to see the ammo - it’s the most powerful commonly available cartridge not considered a destructive device under the National Firearms Act. So don’t be surprised when the unarmored engine block of your “go-fast” boat blows up after you pretend not to hear all the warnings you’ve just been given:
Last year, the Alameda-based “maritime security cutter” USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750), which is like a destroyer, basically, bigger and badder than anything else the Coast Guard has ever had in warm waters, was on a maritime security mission in the same area. So I suppose this is how the smallest branch of the military is spending part of its time these days, just hanging out near Central America looking for drug boats and submarines. It’s like Miami Vice, West Coast or something.
And that’s it.
Maybe the Coasties will issue a more-detailed report sometime.
Read all about it, after the jump
A San Francisco memorial for Melissa Dennison is set for Tuesday, September 29th, 6:00 PM at Ocean Beach (somewhere near the Beach Chalet, most likely). All the details are/will be here on this Facebook entry. From FB:
The scene at Fell and Broderick:
Read this bit here over at BIKE NOPA to see that at least one SFPD lieutenant doesn’t consider the death of pedestrian Melissa Dennison to be a case of vehicular manslaughter. According to Lt. Ramlin of Park Station, at this point:
“There is no determination that it was manslaughter.”
The memorial at Fell and Broderick as it appeared a few days ago:
(Personally, I think when people use the term “speeding” in regards to traffic on Fell and Oak, they’re not saying what mean. Are they talking about cars literally going more than 30 mph? It’s not clear.)
The police report should be coming out soon…
The makeshift memorial for killed pedestrian Melissa Dennison at the intersection of Fell and Broderick is still drawing observers.
More flowers have come and someone put up a large photo. As it looked last night:
A memorial is planned for this Sunday in the Lake Tahoe area.
“Please join family and friends to celebrate the life of Melissa Hope Dennison. A memorial service will be held at West End Beach on Sunday, Sept. 20, beginning at 1 p.m. Bring food, drinks, and memories to share. All are welcome at the West End Beach Donner Lake in Truckee.”
It appears as if somebody threw away the flowers at Fell and Broderick yesterday morning - they were placed there as a memorial for fallen San Francisco pedestrian Melissa Dennison. But tons more were added throughout the day.
And this was the scene last night. The intersection smelled like a florist’s shop:
People were reading reports from the Examiner and KTVU-TV.
At this point it’s not really clear how this quote from the ‘Xam…
“State law dictates that an intersection doesn’t need to marked to be considered a crosswalk.”
…is useful since all the crosswalks in the area are marked.
We’ll have to wait to see if the office of Kamala Harris will charge the driver…
This was the scene last night at the intersection of Fell and Broderick in the NoPA North of Panhandle Area. It’s the start of a memorial for 24 year old pedestrian Melissa Dennison, who was struck by a car and killed yesterday morning.
Click to expand:
“Melissa, you were loved and will be missed by many.”
They’re already calling for incarceration of the driver at StreetsBlog SF.
The commenters at SFist reveal that the pedestrian was herself cited twice last year for two different DUI car accidents at one location in Truckee, CA.
A sad story.
Bike messenger Kirk Janes was killed yesterday morning in a collision with a truck at Fulton and Steiner in Alamo Square. San Francisco’s Ride of Silence, already planned for yesterday evening, was then hastily altered to start at this intersection.
The Ride of Silence occurs on the third Wednesday in May in almost 300 cities around the world. It’s a bicycle ride to commemorate cyclists killed or injured while riding on public roads. It helps to raise awareness among motorists of the dangers they pose to cyclists. Unlike a Critical Mass event, Ride of Silence rides are not designed to stall traffic or create conflict with motorists.
A KTVU channel 2 news crew spoke with riders as they assembled:
Friends of Kirk Janes were on hand with flowers:
It’s unusual to see a group this large not chatting and making noise. At the infamous intersection of Fell and Masonic:
