Cross traffic collision

A car speeding at an estimated 65 mph ran a red light at the intersection of 19th and Holloway Avenues Monday, causing yet another scene of devastation at the dangerous intersection.

Two people were injured in a three-car collision just before 7:25 p.m., according to the San Francisco Police Department. It was the second accident reported there this year.

Last October, SFPD said there had been 160 accidents at the corner since 1990. However, the Department of Parking and Traffic's current records show only 34 accidents since September of the same year. The DPT could offer no explanation for the discrepancy.

SFPD officer Ron Gehrke said two passengers in Andy Zheng Han Huang's car were taken to San Francisco General Hospital after he drove his teal Honda CRX through a red light at Holloway, heading northbound on 19th Ave. Both injured people were released within two to three hours, he said.

When Huang ran the light, he was struck by a Toyota Corolla heading eastbound on Holloway. The Honda spun out of control and collided with a Subaru station wagon traveling the opposite direction on Holloway, Gehrke said.

Ghulam Janjua's wife was driving the Toyota. They had just picked up their three children from speech therapy classes at SF State, Janjua said.

"That young guy was going so fast, he came right through the light," he said. "We are lucky -- my wife saved us. She hit the brakes."

Rodrigo Galimba was picking up his daughter from SF State when he was hit by the spinning Honda on the driver's side of his Subaru. Galimba's head hit the side window of his car, and he later went to the hospital to have it examined.

Huang wouldn't comment, but was heard telling officers he was wearing a seat belt and indicated having a minor head injury.

Gehrke said Huang will most likely be cited with running a stop light.

Traffic was held up for more than an hour while police waited for the Honda to be towed, delaying the MUNI M-line heading downtown. Another accident, a two-car collision, occurred south of the intersection on 19th Ave due to traffic congestion.

UPD said they were first on the scene to assist the SFPD, but had no information on the accident.

In August 1994, President Robert A. Corrigan approved a $70,000 budget to hire two additional University Police Department officers to patrol the intersection, according to the SF State public affairs office.

"This has been an extremely important issue for him (Corrigan)," said Ligeia Polidora, director of public affairs. "He is extremely frustrated with the situation on 19th and Holloway."

Lorna Garano, a senior English major, was at the northbound bus stop last October when 16 people were injured by a driver who lost control of his car and careened into the bus stop. She said separate signals for those turning onto 19th from Holloway would help.

"It's a dangerous intersection," she said. "I think people that drive just need to be more cautious."

[ Golden Gater Online September 28, 1995 ]

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