San Francisco, CA (July 14, 2026) – David Reinhart, 57, has been identified as the pedestrian killed in a collision in the South of Market neighborhood, according to the San Francisco County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Reinhart was struck by a vehicle in the 200 block of Sixth Street near Howard Street, around 4:07 a.m. on July 14, 2026.
Paramedics transported him to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, the Medical Examiner’s Office said. He later died from those injuries.
The San Francisco Police Department reported the crash at around 4:03 a.m. on Sixth Street near Tehama Street. Initial reports indicated that a man was walking across the street when he was hit by a vehicle.
Police and San Francisco Fire Department crews arrived at the scene within minutes, according to SFPD. Paramedics began performing CPR on the injured victim.
The driver who hit the victim stayed at the scene and was cooperative with investigators, police said. According to SFPD, alcohol and/or drugs were not believed to have played any role in the incident.
The department’s Traffic Collision Investigation Unit is working to establish what led up to the deadly incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Francisco Police Department.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
A death on a city street before dawn leaves a family with a phone call, a medical examiner’s report, and almost nothing that explains how it happened.
Fatal Pedestrian Accidents in San Francisco, California
A pedestrian struck by a vehicle has no protection at all. In a fatal collision, the one person who could describe what happened is the person who did not survive it. That is why the physical evidence carries the case.
Police have not said what caused this collision, and no citation, arrest, or charge has been reported. In crashes like it, investigators typically examine several things.
- Speed and impact evidence. Vehicle damage, throw distance, and any electronic data recorder in the vehicle can show how fast the vehicle was travelling.
- Lighting and visibility. A collision just after 4 a.m. raises questions about street lighting, headlight use, and how far ahead the driver could see.
- Crosswalk position and signal timing. Where a pedestrian entered the roadway, and what the signals were doing, shapes the entire liability analysis.
- Nearby video. Sixth Street in South of Market is dense with businesses and traffic cameras. Most recording systems overwrite themselves within 30 days.
That a driver stayed at the scene and cooperated matters, but it does not settle fault. Cooperation with investigators and legal responsibility for a death are two separate questions.
If the pedestrian is later found to have been outside a marked crosswalk, a claim is not lost. California follows pure comparative fault, with no 50 percent cutoff. A family’s recovery is reduced by the pedestrian’s share of fault, not barred by it. Insurers routinely overstate that share, and their assessment is contestable.
A wrongful death claim in California can seek funeral and burial costs, the financial support the person would have provided, and the loss of their companionship and guidance. A separate survival action can cover what the person suffered between the collision and their death.
Wrongful death claims must generally be filed within two years of the date of death (CCP 377.60). For a July 14, 2026 death, that deadline is July 14, 2028. If a public entity turns out to be involved, a formal government claim is due within six months instead (Govt. Code § 911.2).
Three steps protect a family in the meantime. Request the full traffic collision report, including scene diagrams and witness statements not released publicly. Ask nearby businesses to preserve their video before it is overwritten. Do not give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company.
Contact Our California Pedestrian Accident Attorneys
Losing someone on a street they had crossed a hundred times before is a particular kind of loss. The details arrive slowly, from a medical examiner’s office and a collision unit, and none of them tell a family what they most want to know.
We handle fatal pedestrian cases across Northern and Central California, and our record includes a firm-reported $19,000,000 construction accident recovery and a $5,000,000 product defect result. A California pedestrian accident lawyer can start pulling the evidence now rather than waiting for the investigation to close. Our California wrongful death attorney practice exists for families in exactly this position, still waiting on answers about the last minutes of someone they loved.
The video that would show what happened on Sixth Street sits on business security systems that erase themselves in weeks, so it has to be requested while it still exists.
You will never receive a bill from us. We are paid only out of a recovery, and only if there is one.
Why Northern California families trust J.G. Winter Law:
- $19,000,000 construction accident result, the firm’s largest reported recovery
- Founder Jeremy Winter lost his mother in a car accident at 18, the firm is built on that experience
- Direct attorney access: you work with Jeremy, not just staff
- Bilingual representation in English and Spanish (dedicated Spanish site)
- Four offices across Northern California and the Phoenix metro
- Free consultation, available 24/7
- Zero fees unless we win your case
Speak With an Attorney About What Happened at (844) 764-2596.
