San Francisco Police have arrested a 31-year-old man they say was under the influence and driving a stolen car when a pedestrian died and several others were hurt as part of an eight-vehicle crash early Thursday at Higuera Ave. and Lake Merced Blvd.
Jerry Lyons was driving a 2003 Ford Explorer that had been reported stolen in San Jose when the crash happened before 8 a.m., a news release late Thursday said. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.
Officers responded to the incident, and found a 26-year-old man in the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported the body was moved to the side of the street and covered with a yellow tarp.
The victim's name has not yet been released.
Glass and debris from the smashed cars littered the roadway more than two hours after officers arrived at the scene, the paper said.
Eight vehicles were involved in the crash. Three people were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. Lyons was taken to a hospital, but later released.
He's facing a number of charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, felony hit and run, DUI causing injury to another, driving a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and committing an offense while on post release community supervision.
Police said Lyons had previously been released on county probation from California State Prison following a grand theft conviction. The conviction stems from a December 2020 arrest by the California Highway Patrol (San Francisco) for driving a stolen vehicle, being an unlicensed driver and DUI.
