Hawaii Man Charged In Deadly San Francisco Crash: Prosecutor

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A Hawaii man is facing several charges in connection with a January crash in San Francisco that left one person and a dog dead.

Honolulu resident Jia Lin Zheng, 67, faces three counts of hit and run driving along with one count each of vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving for his actions in the Jan. 19 crash, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday. Zheng pleaded not guilty to the charges at his court hearing Monday.

Authorities say Zheng was driving recklessly in the South of Market neighborhood when he crashed into at least six vehicles at Sixth and Harrison streets just after 6 p.m. Zheng told authorities that the Tesla he was driving accelerated on its own before the crash, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The crash left one person and a dog dead and several others hospitalized, according to prosecutors.

A judge on Monday released Zheng without bail and ordered him to surrender his driver's license, according to prosecutors. His next hearing is set for Nov. 7.