Pacific Beach community mourning another hit-and-run victim

Dante Ulanday - News Moderator Dante Ulanday - News Moderator
Feb 24, 2026 - 21:01
Pacific Beach community mourning another hit-and-run victim
A man wearing a baseball cap smiles into the camera while sitting in a chair with his arms at his sides and his hands on his legs in front of a desk with file folders visible.
A man wearing a baseball cap smiles into the camera while sitting in a chair with his arms at his sides and his hands on his legs in front of a desk with file folders visible.
Qwente Bryant. (Photo courtesy of Tavern at the Beach)

PACIFIC BEACH – Pacific Beach residents and staff at Tavern at the Beach are mourning the loss of Qwente Bryant, a popular bar manager who died after a hit-and-run incident while walking home in the early-morning hours of Feb. 7.

Bryant, who was known as “Q” to loved ones, was crossing the street near Sandbox Pizza at Garnet Avenue and Ingraham Street when he was struck by a westbound Mercedes-Benz SUV shortly after 2 a.m. The as-yet unidentified driver left the crash site.

Bryant was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where he was pronounced dead. He was only a quarter-mile from his home when he was struck and killed.

A blurred photo of a white SUV was released by San Diego Crime Stoppers in hopes of capturing the driver who struck Bryant. No one apparently witnessed the actual hit-and-run collision, though a vehicle was seen fleeing the area.

A GoFundMe has been established to aid Bryant’s family.

“With heavy hearts, we are coming together to honor the life of Qwente ‘Q’ Bryant, who was taken from us far too soon,” reads the page, which also announced a memorial service scheduled for 8 p.m. March 2 at Tavern at the Beach.

Krista Barrella, general manager at Tavern at the Beach, characterized Bryant as a “wonderful human being; well-traveled, educated, kind, compassionate, understanding, selfless, and funny. He was hired with us at the Tavern in September of 2022, but I truly cannot remember a Tavern without Q. He was just everyone’s friend, everyone’s shoulder to cry on and lean on.”

A blurry image of a white sub SUV moving left to right on a road in the dark of night.
The vehicle that struck and killed bar manager Qwente Bryant on Feb. 7 in Pacific Beach. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Crimestoppers)

“He was part of our family, and everyone is hurting, because this loss is tremendous,” Barrella added. “It is a hole that will never be filled, and a void that we feel every single day. Q left a lasting impression on this community and beyond.”

Bryant’s death came just three weeks after 6-year-old Hudson O’Loughlin was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Pacific Beach Drive, angering activists who are calling for additional safety measures. Both fatalities occurred about half a mile apart.

San Diego City Councilmember Joe LaCava said the beach community carries Qwente Bryant, Hudson O’Loughlin, and their loved ones “in our hearts.”

He added that the council is working with Mayor Todd Gloria’s office on a comprehensive speed management plan, including speed reductions on both Pacific Beach Drive and Garnet Avenue as a first step towards traffic calming.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

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