Dannielle Spillman was a grandma. She was, by all accounts from those who knew her, a rockstar — kind, loving, generous. On Monday afternoon, she was killed in a hit-and-run in SoMa. She deserved so much better.

The suspect, identified as a man named Amil, allegedly struck Spillman with his vehicle, then drove off. He was later tracked down via drone on a freeway and arrested near Potrero Avenue and 18th Street. Credit where it's due — that's solid, fast police work.

But here's where this story takes a turn from tragic to enraging.

Amil's attorney has mounted a self-defense claim, alleging that Spillman — described by the defense as appearing homeless and intoxicated — tried to pull his car doors, climbed onto the hood, and doused the vehicle with a liquid the driver feared could be gasoline. His family, including a 4-month-old and an 11-year-old, were reportedly in the car. The family was on their way to Disneyland.

As one SF resident put it bluntly: "He was safely in his vehicle, chose to run her over, and then despite video evidence, chooses to lie about what happened."

Another local raised the obvious question: why did he drive off so far after rolling over the woman? If you genuinely feared for your family's safety, you call 911 at the next block. You don't flee onto a freeway.

The DA's office has charged Amil with murder under Penal Code 187(a), with a deadly weapon enhancement for using his automobile, plus felony hit-and-run. That's essentially California's version of first-degree murder. Some legal observers think the DA may be overreaching — murder two might be the more prosecutable charge — but the severity of the charges signals that the city is taking this seriously.

Good. It should.

San Francisco's streets are already dangerous enough for pedestrians without drivers who think fleeing the scene and lawyering up with a creative story is an acceptable response to killing someone. Whatever the circumstances of the encounter, Dannielle Spillman is dead, and the man who killed her ran.

Her friends remember her warmth and generosity. The justice system owes her — and her family — accountability. No amount of self-defense spin changes the fact that a grandmother is gone and a car kept driving.