By Linda Taaffe

The driver who struck and killed a pedestrian on San Antonio Road last month faces misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office issued an arrest warrant for the 19-year-old driver May 2 following a three-week investigation conducted by the Los Altos Police Department.

The investigation concluded that the Los Altos teen was driving 8 mph above the posted speed limit and failed to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. He was not found to be driving outside the norm of other drivers or with gross negligence, police said.

The teen is scheduled to appear in court by the end of this month. He faces up to one year in county jail or probation.

Felony charges are filed only when a motorist has demonstrated erratic driving or gross negligence, such as weaving or traveling at an excessive speed, police said.

The teen was heading in the direction of Foothill Expressway when he struck a 74-year-old Los Altos man in the crosswalk near Hawthorne Avenue during the pedestrian’s routine Saturday morning jaunt downtown.

Traffic-safety advocates have long expressed concerns about traffic volumes and speeds along the 35-mph roadway. For pedestrians, crossing the street requires maneuvering through four lanes of traffic in crosswalks that aren’t controlled by signals in the section between Cuesta Drive and Edith Avenue.

Observers say the foliage, lack of signs and obscure crosswalks make it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians until it’s too late to stop.

“The current situation on San Antonio isn’t safe. It isn’t safe for pedestrians. It isn’t safe for drivers,” said resident Jon Baer.

The council recently directed city staff to meet with the Los Altos-based David and Lucile Packard Foundation to conduct a traffic study on San Antonio.

Last month’s fatality was the first on San Antonio in 10 years, according to city officials.