Tragic Accident Near Upscale Neighborhood: Child and Caregiver Hit by Truck

A private chef and her husband, an investment banker, are urgently calling for safety improvements at a perilous intersection in San Francisco following a harrowing accident involving their young son and his nanny. The two-year-old and his caretaker were hit by a pickup truck while walking to a nearby park, highlighting the need for immediate action.

The couple recounted the terrifying incident, which occurred on April 16 at the junction of Chestnut and Laguna streets in the affluent Marina District. Fortunately, their toddler narrowly escaped severe harm when the impact sent his stroller airborne, flipping it upside down. This crash site is just a short distance from their $2.6 million townhouse.

In the wake of the accident, Lindsay Kinder, the mother and a private chef, took to GoFundMe to share their ordeal. She described how the stroller was rendered completely unusable, with its back wheels blown off due to the collision’s force.

Tragically, Mily, the family’s nanny, was thrown nearly a car length by the impact. While the toddler was fortunate to sustain only minor injuries, thanks to being securely fastened in his stroller, Mily continues to grapple with physical pain, numerous medical appointments, and recurring nightmares.

The boy escaped with relatively minor injuries because he was securely strapped in, but Mily continues to suffer from pain, medical appointments and nightmares.

‘We truly believe her quick instincts helped protect him that morning,’ Kinder wrote in the fundraiser.

Kinder said the family believes the nanny’s split-second reaction saved their son’s life.

Now the shaken parents are channeling their fear into a campaign to transform the intersection, which sits steps from Moscone Park and is surrounded by parks, preschools, strollers and families.

Lindsay Kinder said she believes the nanny’s ‘vigilance’ protected her son from catastrophic injuries when the stroller flipped upside down in the crosswalk

The crash happened as Mily, the family’s nanny, and the toddler were walking to Moscone Park in San Francisco’s Marina District

The family said they are working with city officials to make the intersection safer for children and families traveling to the park, library and preschool (Pictured: Kinder and her two-year-old son)

The online fundraiser is raising money to help Mily cover medical expenses and lost income while concerns over insurance and liability are addressed.

Kinder described Mily as a devoted caregiver who ‘has cared for our son with incredible love, attentiveness, and dedication.’ 

At the same time, neighbors and staff at Hungry Caterpillars Preschool have started a Change.org petition calling on city leaders to install raised crosswalks, flashing pedestrian beacons and other traffic-calming measures.

The petition argues that the intersection has become a hazard for the many families who pass through it on their way to the park, school and the library.

Witnesses estimated the pickup truck was traveling between 20 and 25 mph when it struck Mily and the stroller in the marked crosswalk.

The collision unfolded in front of preschool teachers walking a rope tow of children in neon safety vests.

Bystander Gladys Sandoval, who recorded the aftermath, said in a Facebook post that she was preparing to make a left turn when preschool teachers began escorting a group of children across the street.

‘Suddenly you hear the sound and screams,’ she wrote. 

Mily, the family’s longtime nanny, was thrown roughly a car length and continues to suffer from pain, medical appointments and nightmares, according to the GoFundMe page

Bystander Gladys Sandoval witnessed the drive-by first hand and posted it on her Facebook

The family’s stroller was left destroyed, with the back wheels blown off after a pickup truck struck the nanny and two-year-old boy

‘It was very shocking to see how that truck lifted the poor woman into the air.’

Sandoval said she thanked God that the toddler riding in the stroller escaped serious injury and said she believed she narrowly avoided being hit herself.

The corner is part of San Francisco’s High Injury Network, a designation reserved for streets that account for a disproportionate share of severe and fatal crashes.

District Supervisor Stephen Sherrill told KTVU that two serious crashes have occurred there since 2021 and warned that traffic enforcement has dropped sharply.

‘Traffic tickets are down 90 percent from their high,’ Sherrill told the outlet. ‘Drivers know that if they run a stop sign, they won’t get ticketed, and that’s wrong.’

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has pledged to add playground warning signs and improve visibility by removing parking spaces near the corner, a process known as daylighting, according to a statement obtained by KTVU.

But Kinder said signs alone are not enough and wants physical infrastructure that forces drivers to slow down.

‘Red lights and stop signs unfortunately do not always force cars to stop,’ Kinder wrote in the fundraiser.

Kinder described Mily as a devoted caregiver who has cared for the couple’s son with ‘incredible love, attentiveness, and dedication’

The GoFundMe was created to help Mily cover medical expenses and lost income while insurance and liability issues are resolved

The San Francisco Police Department told the Daily Mail that they are still investigating the crash and have not announced whether the driver will receive any citations.

They also confirmed the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the police. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Kinder and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency for comment.