A San Francisco pedestrian is dead after being struck and killed in what police are calling a hit and run — though based on the details emerging, "hit and run" might be the most generous possible framing.

The driver of a Mercedes has been arrested after allegedly striking and killing a pedestrian, then fleeing the scene. Footage reportedly shows the victim paused next to the suspect's vehicle before being struck — a detail that makes this look far less like an accident and far more like something intentional.

Oh, and there was a baby in the backseat.

Let that sink in for a second. A human being is dead, an infant was in the car during the incident, and the driver's first instinct was apparently to run.

The suspect's grandmother has publicly stated her grandson "wouldn't do this thing." Respectfully, the footage and the arrest suggest otherwise. Family loyalty is understandable. Denial in the face of evidence is not a defense.

San Franciscans are not mincing words. As one local put it plainly: "That's not hit and run, it's murder." Another resident pointed out the grim irony that a Waymo was reportedly nearby — meaning autonomous vehicle cameras may have captured the whole thing in high definition. The surveillance state we've been building might actually be useful for once.

Here's where the real test begins. San Francisco has a well-documented pattern: dramatic arrest, public outrage, and then a justice system that quietly downgrades charges, offers plea deals, or lets cases languish until nobody's paying attention anymore. The DA's office needs to charge this case appropriately — not as a traffic mishap, but as the violent crime the evidence suggests it is.

Public safety isn't just about policing. It's about consequences. It's about a justice system that tells residents their lives actually matter more than the bureaucratic path of least resistance. A person is dead. A driver fled. The footage exists.

No more excuses. Charge accordingly.