Driver who struck and killed 4-year-old near Oracle Park gets plea deal
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A driver who struck and killed a 4-year-old pedestrian near Oracle Park last year will not serve any jail time, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Karen Cartagena, 71, was arrested and charged with three counts of failure to yield to pedestrians and vehicular manslaughter in connection to the August 2023 incident.
The girl who was killed was in her stroller at the time of the crash, in which her father also suffered life-threatening injuries. The family was visiting SF from out of town and attempting to use the crosswalk at the intersection of 4th and King streets when the crash occurred.
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On Thursday, San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins confirmed that a negotiated disposition had been reached with Cartagena, rather than going to trial. Under the terms of the settlement, Cartagena will serve two years of probation, complete 400 hours of community service, and complete a safe driver class with a “no driving” condition imposed until completion.
“Although nothing that we can do can bring their beloved daughter and granddaughter back, I hope that this settlement brings them some solace as they work to heal and rebuild their lives in the wake of the terrible tragedy last summer,” Jenkins said in a statement.
In a letter to the court, Cartagena said she was “gravely sorry from the deepest part of my soul,” and that she has asked herself “over and over, why couldn’t it have been me, not this young family.”
The crash occurred one block from the main entrance to Oracle Park.
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