San Francisco teen killed by alleged DUI driver remembered

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Lowell High School track team had its first meet Thursday, following the tragic death of one of their teammates in San Francisco last Saturday night. Police say 17-year-old Hanren Chang was killed by a drunk driver while trying to cross a busy intersection at Sloat Boulevard.

Instead of the traditional black for mourning, green ribbons were handed out Thursday afternoon. It was teen's favorite color. Her teammates on the Lowell track team wore them in her honor.

"It's like we are running for her so we are always going to have her, a little part of her with us while we're running," friend Adrianne Pan said.

Chang was struck and killed while walking across Sloat Boulevard at Vale Avenue on Saturday night. The driver of the car, Kieran Brewer, will be charged with driving under the influence and killing Chang. He faces up to ten years in state prison.

The teen's coach says it was her first season as a long distance runner on the track team.

"She's a good friend to a lot of people who were already on the team for a couple of years," Coach Andy Leong said. "She worked very hard from the first day on."

"It's unbelievable and we are shocked but we know that she is still here, she's just not physically here but she is still here with us," friend Tiffany Chan said.

On the morning she was killed, Chang had participated in a 5K race at Candlestick Park. That evening she had been out with friends celebrating her birthday. She lived only a few blocks from where the accident occurred.

On Thursday a prayer service was held by the Archdiocese of San Francisco at the site of the crash.

Meanwhile, students have signed a petition asking for more and better traffic enforcement along Sloat Boulevard.

"We think it would be really nice to have maybe a stop light or a stop sign to remind cars that there are students that cross that road every day," friend Stephanie Lee said.

The coach had a private moment with students in which he offered words of encouragement for his team.

"We thought this meet wasn't going to happen so maybe she is upstairs looking out for us right now," Leong said.

Improvements are scheduled at three intersections along Sloat to increase pedestrian safety, but neighbors say they would like to see more traffic lights there as well.

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DUI, crash, pedestrian struck, san francisco news, lyanne melendez

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