Driver in fatal Howard Street hit-and-run appears in court

A driver accused of being drunk when he fatally hit a pedestrian and then fled the scene late Tuesday night in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood made his first court appearance Friday.

Allan Quiton, 40, has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter for the 11:30 p.m. collision at Ninth and Howard streets, which killed 61-year-old Modesto Fegurdo.

Quiton has also been charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol causing injury, evading an officer and fleeing the scene.

Quiton did not enter a plea this afternoon and his arraignment was postponed until Sept. 25. Judge Robert Foley ordered that Quiton remain in custody without bail for the time being.

Quiton is being represented by the Public Defender’s Office.

According to police, Quiton was driving a black Toyota Prius, heading west on Howard Street when the Toyota collided with Fegurdo. Quiton, however, allegedly made no attempt to stop or help Fegurdo and immediately fled the scene.

A driver who witnessed the collision then followed Quiton, called police and gave them Quiton’s license plate number.

Responding officers were able to catch up with Quiton and arrested him near the corner of 25th and Connecticut streets, police said.

Last week, a separate collision on Howard Street killed a bicyclist, just a few blocks away from Tuesday’s fatal collision.

On Sept. 14, 56-year-old Russell Franklin died after a vehicle struck him while he was on a bike, around noon in the 1600 block of Howard Street.

The car’s driver stopped and the driver and another bicyclist tried to help Franklin who was taken to the hospital where he died later that night, police said.

The car’s driver was not arrested and the collision remains under investigation, according to police.