Video has surfaced of the fatal hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian in San Francisco — and let's stop sugarcoating what happened here. This wasn't a tragic accident. This wasn't a momentary lapse in judgment. What the footage shows is a Mercedes deliberately striking a human being and fleeing the scene. As one SF resident put it bluntly: "That's not hit and run, it's murder."

The suspect, identified as Valentino, allegedly had a baby in the backseat of the car when he ran someone down and drove off. Let that sink in. A child was in the vehicle while its driver allegedly committed homicide. "Baby in the backseat. Charge him with vehicular homicide and throw away the key," one local wrote, echoing a sentiment that's hard to argue with.

Predictably, the suspect's grandmother told media her grandson "wouldn't do this thing." With all due respect to grandma, the video tells a different story.

But here's the part that should genuinely alarm every San Franciscan: California has a dismal track record of actually holding vehicular killers accountable. One resident noted that "the highest rate of murder without conviction is vehicle manslaughter in California. Statistically, you'll have the highest chance of limited to no consequences at all." That's not just a talking point — it's a documented pattern. Drivers kill pedestrians and cyclists in this state with shocking regularity, and the legal system treats it like an insurance dispute rather than a violent crime.

This is where the rubber meets the road — no pun intended — on public safety. We spend millions on Vision Zero plans, paint bike lanes, and install speed bumps. But none of that matters if someone can use a two-ton luxury vehicle as a weapon and face minimal consequences. The infrastructure of accountability — aggressive prosecution, meaningful sentencing, actual deterrence — is what's missing.

The DA's office now has video evidence, likely supplemental footage from a Waymo that was nearby, and public outrage on their side. The question isn't whether they can prosecute this as murder. It's whether they will.

We'll be watching.