An 80-year-old California woman accused of plowing into a family of four as they waited at a bus stop — killing all of them — is asking a court to reduce the case from felonies to misdemeanors.
Authorities have charged Mary Fong Lau with four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in the deaths of Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40; Matilde Moncado Ramos Pinto, 38; and their two small children — an infant and a toddler.
But when Lau appears in court Friday, her attorney is expected to formally request a more lenient outcome that would allow her to plead guilty to misdemeanor offenses, according to local ABC affiliate KGO.
Crash happened as family waited for bus to the zoo
Investigators say the family was killed on March 16, 2024, while standing at a bus stop near the West Portal Muni station on their way to the zoo. Lau, driving a Mercedes SUV, allegedly struck them at around 65 mph, KGO reported.
Court filings referenced by the San Francisco Chronicle say Lau told a witness immediately after the collision that she tried to brake but accidentally pressed the gas instead, mistakenly moving her foot from the brake to the accelerator.
Later, during an interview with police at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Lau reportedly gave a different account — claiming there was a sudden “malfunction” that caused the vehicle to accelerate rapidly. She allegedly said she tried to brake and shift into park but couldn’t slow the SUV down.
Families push back hard against reduced charges
Relatives of the victims have strongly opposed any reduction in charges. Ramos Pinto’s brother told KGO that the loss has been devastating beyond words, saying it felt like “part of us all died.”
“We’re vehemently against them, because no evidence has been provided that would suggest this isn’t gross negligence,” he said, adding that he wants Lau to be held fully accountable.
Prosecutors with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office have also filed a motion urging the court to deny Lau’s request for reduced charges.
Civil lawsuit also underway
In addition to the criminal case, the families have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lau that is now moving through civil court. They’re represented by attorney Jim Quadra, who warned that reducing the charges would send the wrong message.
“If the court agrees and drops these charges, she could have acted with gross negligence in taking four lives and have just misdemeanor charges,” Quadra told KGO, arguing it would appear to many as “a basic slap on the wrist.”
In the civil case, the families have also accused Lau of trying to hide assets to keep them out of any future settlement or judgment, local Fox affiliate KTVU reported.
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