A car struck and killed the first Asian American elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in California and an admired civil rights activists Wednesday, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
Tributes immediately began to pour in from constituents, fellow activists, and politicians.
The driver stayed on the scene after hitting Chan, 72, as she crossed a busy intersection at 8 a.m.
Flowers now line the street where the accident occurred, according to ABC7 News.
“People don’t even know how much they’re going to miss her yet. They miss her now but they’re not even going to realize how much she did for our community,” said San Leandro Mayor, Pauline Cutter.
Asian American leaders expressed their grief and admiration for Chan on social media.
David Chiu is the first Asian American city attorney in San Francisco and, until recently, a longtime state representative in the legislature.
Malia Vella is Vice Mayor of the city of Alameda.
Janelle Wang is a news anchor at the NBC station in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“We need to remember her as a unifier for the county,” said Carl Chan of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce to CBS5. “She is a true hero and dedicated public servant, serving all of us.”
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Although there is no evidence of this. Many accidents today result from drivers and their cell phones. Anyone driver who has an accident because they were distracted by their cell phone is breaking the law and subject civil and criminal prosecution. Thus, cell phones are hidden out of sight after an incident. We need better review cameras to catch people hiding the cell phone right after an accident. Had accident a month ago when I was rearended at stop sign. The culprit most likely was distracted by her cell phone. Even when we are using Google Map or other navigating tools, they are very distracting. If any driver is distracted for more than 2-3 seconds, anyone can have an accident. There is hardly anyone I know who doesn’t use a cell phone when driving. I promise to stop doing it NOW>