San Francisco educator killed by car close to public faculty the place he taught
A San Francisco public school educator was fatally struck by a vehicle Wednesday while walking in Cow Hollow, steps from the school where he taught, officials said.
Andrew Zieman, 30, was a paraeducator at Sherman Elementary School and the community is mourning the tragic loss.
“Andrew was a long-time staff member at our school and attended Sherman himself as an elementary student,” the school’s principal, Helen Parker, wrote in a letter sent to families and posted by KRON. “We are struggling to understand this tragic loss of life, especially since he meant so much to so many students, families, and staff. Andrew taught from the heart. He was patient and kind, and always a positive role model. I am sure you will join me in offering our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
“Death never really hit me as hard,” Zieman’s cousin, Kevin Cabacungan, shared in a social media post. “He was a good, kind soul and I cannot believe it. We talked about nostalgia and movies almost all the time. We had dreams & ideas He went for his and was in a great place last I talked to him.
Zieman attended Sherman Elementary School as a child, KTVU reported.
The collision, which involved a pedestrian and two vehicles, was reported at around 7:55 am, minutes after school started, near the corner of Franklin and Union streets, the San Francisco Police Department said.
Despite live-saving measures by paramedics, Zieman was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Police are investigating what caused the collision.
The incident marks the city’s 12th pedestrian death in a traffic collision this year, Walk SF, an organization dedicated to making SF’s streets safer, said
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family and friends,” Walk SF Executive Director Jodie Medeiros said in a statement on Wednesday. “Too many people are paying the ultimate price for unsafe streets.”
Although Franklin Street is not considered to be part of the city’s “high-injury network” — 13% of city streets where 75% of its crashes occur — the three-lane one-way street is a major thoroughfare and drivers tend to speed as they head north and down a steep hill, Walk SF said.
Bay City News contributed to this story.
