Full Notification

SMPD COMMUNITY AND MEDIA ALERT
San Mateo Police Department Is Seeking Additional Witnesses Following Vehicular Manslaughter

On Friday, November 14th, at about 2:45 PM, SMPD Officers responded to the parking lot of Walgreen’s, located at 191 East 3rd Avenue, on a report of a pedestrian that was struck by a vehicle. Officers arrived and found the victim, Nina Falk (84) of San Mateo, down on the ground between the sidewalk and the drive up window bay, suffering from significant head injuries. The involved driver, Sonia Toor (21) of San Mateo, was located and identified as the driver of the green Nissan minivan that struck Falk. Falk was immediately transported to a trauma center with life threatening injuries, accompanied by an SMPD Officer to closely monitor her condition.

The investigation on scene revealed that Toor had been in line to use the drive up window and then changed her mind, backing away quickly from the line and struck Falk, driving over her completely. Arriving officers also determined that Toor was under the influence of marijuana and possibly other drugs. She was subsequently arrested for felony Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and transported to SMPD to continue the investigation to include field sobriety testing. The results of the chemical testing following her arrest are now pending.

A uniformed SMPD Officer remained at the hospital with Falk. Falk sadly died from her injuries on the evening of Saturday, November 15th, and the charges against Toor were amended to include a felony charge of 192(c) 1 PC - Vehicular Manslaughter.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing and we are seeking the assistance of our community in locating and identifying any other witnesses to this event who have not yet come forward. Anyone with information that could assist in this investigation should contact the SMPD Traffic Unit at 650-522-7740.

This incident is tragic, especially given that we have lost an elderly member of our San Mateo community. Sadly, it is also indicative of a growing trend in California. While traffic deaths statewide declined by 39% from 2006 to 2010, drugged driving continues to rise, with nearly 1/3 of all drivers killed in crashes since 2011 testing positive for legal and/or illegal drugs. Quite simply, drugged driving kills more people every year, a trend that unfortunately will likely continue to rise given the most recent change in drug legislation. It's imperative now more than ever that we as a community do everything we possibly can to prevent incidents such as this.

Please don’t hesitate to report suspected impaired drivers immediately to police by calling 911. With your help, we can combat this alarming trend together and save lives. Some visible signs of impaired driving can include:

• Quick acceleration or deceleration
• Tailgating, weaving, or zig-zagging across the road
• Almost striking an object, curb, or vehicle
• Stopping without cause or erratic braking
• Drifting in and out of traffic lanes

MORE RESOURCES
Mothers Against Drunk Driving: http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/how-you-can-help/how-to-spot-a-drunk-driver.html
CA Office of Traffic Safety: http://www.ots.ca.gov/Media_and_Research/Campaigns/2008_December_DUI_Crackdown/Public_Information/FAQs.asp

DO YOUR PART TO MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER
As always, we count on our community members to be SMPD’s “extra eyes and ears.” Please report ANY suspicious activity to SMPD right away via 911, or 650-522-7700. For information related to any ongoing SMPD investigation, call the Detective Bureau at 650-522-7650. You may also contact us

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