Man Falls Into Path of 38-Geary Bus Near Union Square, Dies

At the busy intersection of Geary and Kearny streets, just east of Union Square, a man fell from the sidewalk into the path of a westbound 38-Geary Muni bus Tuesday morning and was fatally struck, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency confirmed.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:50 a.m. on March 24, when the 38 Geary bus was traveling outbound on Geary Boulevard. The man fell from the curb into the roadway as the bus was passing, according to the San Francisco Police Department's preliminary findings, and was struck before emergency personnel could intervene. Medics transported him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

"We are deeply saddened to share that at approximately 6:50 a.m. this morning, a 38 Geary bus was travelling west (outbound) on Geary Boulevard near Keany [sic] Street, when a male pedestrian reportedly fell from the sidewalk and made contact with the Muni bus," the SFMTA said in a post on social media. The agency added: "Emergency personnel responded to the incident and transported the man to the hospital, where, tragically, he died. Our deepest condolences go out to his friends and family."

The victim has not been publicly identified. Authorities have not yet determined what caused him to fall.

The bus operator remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators. As part of the protocol, the bus driver is undergoing drug and alcohol testing and was placed on a non-driving status pending the results of the investigation. Officials said this is standard protocol following on-the-job accidents and does not indicate fault.

SFPD is leading the investigation, with SFMTA conducting its own parallel probe. The department said it responded to the scene immediately and discovered the injured pedestrian.

The death is the latest in what pedestrian safety advocates have flagged as a troubling stretch on San Francisco streets. Walk SF noted that as of mid-March, the city had seen five pedestrian deaths in the span of five weeks, including the death of a two-year-old girl in Mission Bay. Arrests were made in connection with both that case and an early March collision in North Beach that killed one person and injured a scooter rider.

The 38-Geary line is one of Muni's highest-ridership routes, running from the Transbay Transit Center through the dense commercial corridor around Union Square before continuing west through the Richmond District to Point Lobos Avenue at the edge of the Pacific.