The sidewalk monument of Andrew Zieman, an educator, was hit and killed by a motorist at the intersection of Franklin Street and Union Street next to Cow Hollow Sherman Elementary School where he worked.

Students at Sherman Elementary School in Cow Hollow lit candles during a vigil for Andrew Zieman.

Richard and Maridine Zieman participated in a candlelight vigil for their son Andrew Zieman at Sherman Elementary School in Cow Hollow. Andrew Zieman, an educator, was caught by a motorist at the intersection of Franklin Street and Union Street next to his school Hit to death.

Students at Sherman Elementary School write notes during a vigil for Andrew Zieman.

For a student, Andrew Ziman is one of the "coolest" and "best" educators at Sherman Elementary School in San Francisco. Another student said that he is always willing to help them solve math problems.

Almost every Sherman student who talked about their beloved "sir". At the vigil held in the school garden on Wednesday night—7 days after he was hit and killed by a motorist at the intersection of Franklin and Union Street—remember that Ziman was a kind and patient adult who served the students.

"When I say he is an important part of our Sherman community and all of our lives, I think I represent all of us, we all like and thank him for everything he has done for us," Sherman fifth member Led Bramfit said. See Zieman's grade students in class every school day.

The Sherman community expressed condolences for the loss of an educator. They said that if the city had acted early to address concerns about a driver being killed by a motorist while running a red light, his death could have been avoided. Sherman was killed around 7:55 in the morning, just at the beginning of the school day.

On Wednesday, the traffic on Franklin Street whizzed past in the background, and groups of students and adults lit candles and painted for Ziman. A parent stated that Franklin’s timing of traffic lights allows drivers to sometimes drive at speeds exceeding 50 mph. He suggested that the city government immediately change the time of traffic lights at the nearby Franklin Crossing so that the traffic near the school can slow down.

"This is an avoidable death," said Sherman Principal Helen Parker.

Ziman's death was the 12th pedestrian fatal accident in the city this year. Although the intersection of United and Franklin is not part of the high-injury street network where San Francisco’s most serious and deadly traffic injuries occur, Sherman’s parents and educators say its street design promotes fast driving.

Ziman has a deep relationship with Sherman. Parker said he attended this school when he was a child, as did his father Richard and Uncle Zeng. Parker said Ziman worked on the after-school program on the Cow Hollow campus for five years before working with Sherman students who needed extra help as an auxiliary educator for the past two and a half years.

Buzz Harris, a fifth-grade teacher in Sherman, marveled at Ziman's innate calmness and patience when helping students in the classroom, and encouraged him to obtain a teaching certificate. Principal Parker said that Ziman "is able to reach some more difficult children", which is a gift.

Parker said: "He has been trying to figure out how to attract children, how to connect with them, and is really committed to learning more about psychology so that he can deepen his practice and grow into a professional."

Irene Garcia, the parent of a first-year student in Sherman, recalled that Ziman was quiet but "very proud". After talking with him at the summer camp this year, he went to this school as a child. She noticed that he was warm and compassionate towards the students. She said his death was "very heartbreaking."

Other parents who didn't interact much with Zieman learned about Mr. Andrew and his kindness from their children.

"Thank you for sharing one of the greatest gifts in the world with all of us," Sherman's parents Latoya Piccher told Ziman's parents, Richard and Maridin, who participated in the Wednesday vigil. "Our children go home every day and talk about Mr. Andrew, how great and kind he is."

Ricardo Cano is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: ricardo.cano@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByRicardoCano

Ricardo Cano is responsible for the transportation of the San Francisco Chronicle. Before joining The Chronicle in 2021, he worked as an education reporter for CalMatters in Sacramento and the Arizona Republic in Phoenix, covering K-12 education. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Fresno State University.