Wind blows fence down — 2 injured, 1 critically

Two pedestrians were injured, one critically, after they were struck by a chainlink fence toppled by winddriven construction debris Sunday in San Francisco’s Mission District, authorities said.

The pedestrians, an unidentified man and woman, were hit around 3 p.m. while walking between the fence and a plastic barrier at a construction site at San Jose Avenue and 23rd Street, police said.

A gust of wind pushed a large pile of debris into the fence, which blew over and into the pedestrians, police said. The woman suffered a minor injury, but the man smacked his head on the street and lost consciousness, officials said.

Paramedics took the man to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was being treated for life-threatening injuries, firefighters said.

Winds were gusting up to 30 mph throughout San Francisco, according to the National Weather Service.

Police closed off the intersection shortly after the incident, while construction workers disassembled the fence. A pool of blood remained on the street where police said the man was injured. State workplace safety officials and the city Department of Building Inspection were notified about the incident, police said.