A driver identified as Rodney Jefferson allegedly caused two separate hit-and-run incidents on Tuesday in San Francisco, allegedly injuring two people including a 14-year-old girl, according to officials.
He allegedly returned to the site of the first collision and threw a $20 bill at the teenager before striking the victim, the Standard reported. (RELATED: NFL Receiver Rashee Rice Allegedly Fled Scene After High-Speed Hit And Run Involving Child)
Below is our statement regarding police activity along the Embarcadero. All info. is preliminary at this time with updates being provided as they become available. The suspect and charges following this incident are pending. pic.twitter.com/ImCarFJCE3
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) May 7, 2024
Police said Jefferson was performing doughnuts with his vehicle before allegedly colliding with the first victim, who was crossing the street in the Tenderloin district, according to the Standard. Police reportedly said he later accelerated around a stationary car that had stopped so children could cross near a school in North Beach, allegedly injuring the teenage girl.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office formally charged Jefferson on Thursday with multiple offenses, including leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving causing injury, evading law enforcement and driving on a suspended license, according to the Standard.
“This type of behavior simply cannot and will not be tolerated whatsoever in this city,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said, according to the outlet. Jenkins reiterated her office’s commitment to public safety and vowed to ensure accountability for such reprehensible conduct.
After the initial alleged collision in the Tenderloin, police said Jefferson returned a minute later to throw money at the alleged victim before fleeing once more, the Standard reported.
Later that morning, the police saw Jefferson running a red light in the Tenderloin. They tried pulling him over, but he allegedly continued to drive recklessly, running multiple stop signs and red lights while evading officers. That’s when he allegedly hit the 14-year-old girl at the crosswalk and fled the scene again, the outlet reported.
Jefferson then collided with a parked car, reportedly rendering his Mustang inoperable. He was then taken into custody, police told the Standard.
Both alleged victims were reportedly admitted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Supervisor Aaron Peskin said the child sustained a broken shoulder and ankle in the collision, according to the outlet.