Thursday was a night filled with long-delayed grieving for the families of the four people killed in a crash at a West Portal bus stop two years ago. Dozens of family members, friends, and community members gathered at the scene of the crash on Thursday for a vigil to remember their lives. Just after noon on March 16, 2024, Diego Cardoso de Olivera and Matilde Ramos Pinto, along with their two sons, 2-year-old Joaqim and three-month-old Caue, were waiting at the bus stop near Ulloa Street and Lennox Way in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood. The family was on their way to the San Francisco Zoo. A driver, who was speeding, then crashed into the bus stop. Ultimately, Diego, Matilde, Joaquim, and Caue all died. The driver, 79-year-old Mary Fong Lau, survived. The vigil was held on Thursday, not only to mark the second year anniversary of the crash, but also because it was the first time that the victim’s family members — who traveled in from around the globe — could be present to mourn with the community. Loved ones hung photographs of the four family members on a clothesline next to the bus stop, where community members left messages of support for the family. While the event was organized by the victim’s families, the San Francisco group Walk San Francisco helped to facilitate it. “The work that we do is to honor those lives and to make sure that there is change, because change needs to happen, and justice for these lives lost,” said Jodie Medeiros, the Executive Director for Walk SF. The group has been pushing for lower speed limits and is currently looking for a commitment from the city to expand and make permanent the city’s speed camera pilot program. “Any vehicle, any driver driving more than 40 miles per hour, if you hit a pedestrian, the likelihood that that person survives is incredibly slim,” Medeiros said. Luis Ramos Pinto, who is Matilde’s brother, traveled in from Lisbon to attend the vigil. He concluded his remarks at the vigil by saying, “This tragedy has made it clear that more preventative measures must be taken to stop dangerous drivers from being on San Francisco’s roads.” “If anything can come from this, if this terrible loss can lead to meaningful change, then there can be no greater tribute to the legacy of Matilde, Diego, Joaquim, and Caue,” he continued. Last month, the driver changed her plea from “not guilty” to “no contest,” and the judge indicated he would sentence her to two years’ probation, no time in prison. “We are thinking this is not justice, the decision [the judge] has on his hand right now, makes us all feel sick in the stomach,” said Fabio Benedetto, a San Francisco resident who has known Diego for nearly two decades. Friends of the victims said they plan on showing up to Lau’s sentencing, which is set for 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning in San Francisco. “I hope for — she has a chance to plead guilty and explain, or show remorse somehow for the family,” said Flavia Gonzalez of San Francisco, a friend of the victims. In the past, Lau’s attorney has said that her car “just took off” during that incident. The attorney also noted that Lau had no record of tickets for speeding or accidents. ...read more read less