A neighbor is seeking speed controls after a 99-year-old pedestrian was struck near her San Diego home.
SAN DIEGO — The death of a 99-year-old woman struck by an SUV during her morning walk has renewed concerns about speeding and visibility along a curved residential street in San Diego’s College Area neighborhood.
San Diego police said the woman was walking several houses from her home Wednesday morning when she was struck by a Chevrolet Equinox. She was taken to a hospital and later died. Police had not identified the woman publicly or announced what caused the collision as of Tuesday.
Neighbor Brenda Washington said drivers routinely travel too quickly through the area. She described part of the street as a curve where people may have difficulty seeing what lies ahead, creating concern for pedestrians and residents entering or leaving nearby properties.
“It’s a curve, kind of a blind curve,” Washington said. “You can’t see what’s right around it, and people race past all the time.”
Washington said she and her husband have called out to passing drivers to slow down. Following the woman’s death, she said she wants speed bumps and posted speed-limit signs added in the neighborhood. No city agency had announced plans for new traffic measures in response to the collision.
Police have not said whether speed played a role. Investigators also had not released findings about the SUV’s movement before impact, the driver’s speed, roadway conditions or the woman’s position when she was struck. Washington’s concerns reflect her experience as a resident and have not been confirmed as the cause of the crash.
The woman was well known for walking through the neighborhood. Washington said she saw her outside at about 7 a.m. Wednesday, roughly an hour before emergency sirens sounded. The woman was close to home when the collision occurred.
“I would think that she probably takes that same walk just about every day,” Washington said. “It’s probably what was keeping her young at heart.”
Flowers later appeared outside the woman’s home as neighbors mourned her death. Washington said the 99-year-old was a familiar figure to adults and children in the area, including her son, who would see the woman while leaving for school.
Police said the driver of the Chevrolet Equinox remained at the scene. No arrest had been made. Authorities had not disclosed whether the driver received a citation or whether investigators were considering any criminal charge.
The investigation remained underway Tuesday. Until police release their findings, the circumstances that led to the fatal collision remain undetermined, while Washington’s request for traffic-calming measures had not received a publicly announced response.
Author note: Last updated July 28, 2026.