Category: Announcement

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, May 2023

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, May 2023

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Each month, we post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from the previous month, and share any trends that we see. For the full list of monthly posts, head here.

Last month, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in April; five were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in May 2023. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Crash Information.” Any Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 33 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in May in the MassDOT Crash portal, 6 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in May was 44.6.
  • At least one person was on a sidewalk and two others were in crosswalks when drivers hit & killed them.
Date 5/7/2023, 1:37 PM
Location Massachusetts Ave. + Cobblestone Cir.
Town North Andover
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 47
Sex F

47-year old Angela Desmond was walking on the sidewalk in North Andover when the driver of a Honda Civic struck and killed her. Boston 25 News spoke to a neighbor:

Bill Dolan also lives nearby — and frequently walks his dog along Mass. Ave. Dolan said he’s actually seen vehicles veer up onto the sidewalk, in an attempt to get around drivers making a turn.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Massachusetts Avenue is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides (note: road inventory says 1 side). The speed limit is 35mph.

Date 5/9/2023, 5:30 PM
Location 2 Elm St. South + Main St.
Town Andover
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 5
Sex F

5-year old Sidney Mae Olson was struck and killed by the driver of a large truck in a crosswalk in Andover. From WCVB:

The Olson family statement said the girl and another family member were in the crosswalk on Elm Street, and “the walk sign showed it was still safe to cross.”

“As long-time residents of the neighborhood, we’ve followed that route hundreds of times before. The rest was a blur, and Sidney was struck by a truck and killed, leaving an impossible void in our lives,” the family said.

The Eagle Tribute reports that MassDOT was leading a road safety audit in response to the crash:

Technically, MassDOT will be conducting what is known as a Road Safety Audit, which are reviews of existing, or planned roads and intersections, according to the state’s website.

In order to complete the audit, MassDOT is going to begin compiling crash data and other pertinent information as “soon as possible,” according to the MassDOT email to Finegold’s office.

“In an effort to assist the community, MassDOT will be organizing a Road Safety Audit for the location that can be used to determine potential safety countermeasures that could be implemented in the immediate, short and long term scenarios,” the email said.

MassDOT added that state, and local officials and departments will be involved in the audit.

News of the audit comes following a May 11 letter sent by local legislators to MassDOT asking that the state “focus resources on improving pedestrian safety at the intersection.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, each road at this intersection is under local jurisdiction. Elm Street is a two-way street, with three travel lanes in one direction (a channelized right turn lane, one travel lane, and left turn as it approaches the intersection) and one travel lane away from the intersection. There is a sidewalk on both sides. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date 5/14/2023, 7:20 PM
Location E. Grove St. + Merchants Way
Town Middleborough
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 15
Sex M

15-year old Dylan Levesque was struck and killed by the driver of a car while crossing the street at the corner of Route 28 and the shopping entrance to the Hannaford Supermarket plaza in Taunton on Mother’s Day.

From the Taunton Daily Gazette:

Officials said there have been longstanding concerns over the lack of a traffic signal or crosswalk light at the intersection of Merchants Way and Route 28/East Grove Street where Dylan was hit.

Within the vicinity of the shopping plaza, also known as Middleboro Crossing, where Dylan was coming from, are two elementary schools, Middleboro High School and the YMCA.

“There are always kids, walking, riding bikes, families walking to and from the grocery store/shopping center. We need something so these people that aren’t in cars can be safe from cars flying by,” said Erika Rusconi, who started a Change.org petition to get a crosswalk light installed at that intersection.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, E. Grove Street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side of the street and a shoulder on both sides. The speed limit is 40mph. A “Do Not Pass” sign is visible on Google Street View.

Date 5/19/2023, 8:42 PM
Location Water St. + Nichols St.
Town Fitchburg
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 76
Sex M

The Telegram & Gazette reports 76-year old Mario Bratkon was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle while crossing the street in a crosswalk in Fitchburg near the Fitchburg/Leominster line.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Water Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 2 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 35mph.

This intersection is at the Leominster / Fitchburg line; on the other side of Nichols Street, Fitchburg’s Water Street becomes Leominster’s North Main Street.

Date 5/20/2023, 2:02 PM
Location 243 Haverhill St.
Town Reading
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 79
Sex F

NBC Boston reports a 79-year old woman was struck and seriously injured by the 19-year old driver of a Nissan Rogue. The woman was taken by ambulance to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington. This crash was categorized as a fatal crash in the MassDOT portal when checked on June 30th.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Haverhill Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one of the street. The speed limit is 35mph.

Date 5/28/2023, 3:11 AM
Location 54 Woodlawn St.
Town Everett
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 46
Sex F

A 46-year old woman was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle.The call log of Everett, MA police for May 28th lists “911-FEMALE POSSIBLY STRUCK BY MV.” We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Woodlawn Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk and street parking on both sides of the street. The speed limit is unclear, as it is listed as 99 and not viewable nearby on street view. The default speed limit in Everett is 30mph.

Updates

If you have an update about a community member who was killed in one of these crashes, please contact Brendan so we can update our 2023 list. WalkBoston has maintained a list each year since 2016, pulling the information from news reports, social media, and from people like you that share the information with us.

Yearly trackers:  |  ||||| 2022 | 2023

Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)
Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2022)

Reminder about the data from the MassDOT portal

MassDOT makes no representation as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, availability or completeness of the crash records or the data collected from them and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in such records or data. Under no circumstance will MassDOT have any liability for any loss or damage incurred by any party as a result of the use of the crash records or the data collected from them. Furthermore, the data contained in the web-based crash report tool are not an official record of what transpired in a particular crash or for a particular crash type. If a user is interested in an official copy of a crash report, contact the Registry (http://www.mass.gov/rmv/). The City of Boston Police Department may be contacted directly for official copies of crash reports and for crash data pertaining to the City of Boston. In addition, any crash records or data provided for the years after 2018 are subject to change at any time and are not to be considered up-to-date or complete. As such, open years’ of crash data are for informational purposes only and should not be used for analysis. The data posted on this website, including crash records and other reports, are collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions or railway-highway crossings. Under federal law, this information is not subject to discovery and cannot be admitted into evidence in any federal or state court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages that involves the sites mentioned in these records (see 23 USC, Section 409).

AARP 2023 Community Challenge Grant Announcement!

AARP 2023 Community Challenge Grant Announcement!

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“AARP is thrilled to include Walk Massachusetts as part of our Community Challenge Grants this year. Their project in Springfield will empower residents to make their community more accessible and livable for people of all ages.” – Mike Festa, State Director AARP Massachusetts

We are excited to announce that WalkMassachusetts is one of 310 recipients (out of over 3,600 applicants!) of an AARP Community Challenge grant! AARP Community Challenge is a grant program to make tangible improvements in communities that jump-start long-term change. It is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages. To learn more, visit aarp.org/Livable. 

This grant will fund the Walk Audit Academy (WAA), a walk audit training program that we will lead with WalkBike Springfield. WAA was piloted in Worcester with the REACH program, UMass Worcester Prevention Research Center, Health Resources in Action, and funds from the CDC. WAA is an experiential learning theory-based curriculum that guides learners in: 1- discovering and documenting their local transportation and land use decision making context; 2- learning walk auditing basics; 3- developing an action plan; and 4- implementing the action plan. 

WAA includes a video series, produced by WalkMassachusetts, that guides learners in the process of planning, conducting, and summarizing walk audits. It employs a “flipped classroom” model to extend the capacity of WalkMassachusetts and WalkBike Springfield, and enable community groups to engage in co-learning that benefits the entire Springfield community, with emphasis on environmental justice block groups (minority, income, English isolation). WAA walk audits are intended to build community, and collect information about infrastructure conditions that can be shared with elected/appointed officials to improve walking safety, convenience, and comfort. WAA will allow Springfield residents to better participate in their planning and transportation processes, ensuring that local voices are heard. WAA will also help to improve the safety and walkability of Springfield, which in 2021 had 9 fatal pedestrian crashes, the same number as Boston which has a population over 4x that of Springfield. 

Safer streets benefit everyone— however, older adults will benefit from safety improvements the most, as people ages 50+ make up the vast majority (69%) of crash victims in MA (2021, WalkMassachusetts Fatal Pedestrian Crash Report). Improved neighborhood walkability also results in better physical, social and cognitive health for the whole community, and more accessible streetscapes mean more independence for people with disabilities, whose mobility options are most limited.

Thank you again to AARP for their generous support! To learn about the other Community Challenge grantees, visit: www.aarp.org/CommunityChallenge

Exploring East Boston with Caminatas Seguras

Exploring East Boston with Caminatas Seguras

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On June 13th 2023, WalkMassachusetts joined East Boston community members on a walk led by GreenRoots, a non-profit dedicated to improving the local urban environment and public health, with a focus on Chelsea and East Boston. The walking group Caminatas Seguras meets weekly on Tuesdays to help promote walking as a way to enjoy local public spaces, be physically active, and build connections with residents who have historically been excluded from public decision making processes.

Senior Program Manager Iolando Spinola and Summer Intern Chiara Palagi join GreenRoots and Caminatas Seguras on a walk through East Boston.

Around 25 participants, including Senior Program Manager Iolando Spinola and Summer Intern Chiara Palagi, began at Piers Park, a local space overlooking the Boston Harbor. The group engaged in lively conversations throughout the walk, with topics including new developments in the area, recent and upcoming community events, and even just catching up with one another on an individual level. Passionate GreenRoots volunteers provided historical context and relevant information about the spots along the path.

John Walkey of GreenRoots gives community members historical context on spots encountered during the walk.

The day’s route passed by landmarks such as the ICA Watershed gallery and the Navy Fuel Pier park. With a breathtaking view of the Boston skyline across the harbor, the park’s lush green spaces and well-maintained paths provided the perfect setting for our walk.

Members of the East Boston community admire the view from Navy Fuel Pier park.

Our walk culminated at East Boston Memorial Park, giving GreenRoots volunteers the opportunity to engage with the community members and share upcoming events and opportunities for involvement. Information and flyers were distributed bilingually, showcasing local initiatives, events, and programs aimed at addressing pressing issues in the neighborhood while involving and empowering residents.

Through walking, conversation, and shared experiences, the bonds between community members and activist groups grow stronger every week in Caminatas Seguras, paving the way for a more connected and engaged East Boston. WalkMassachusetts is grateful to have had the opportunity to join GreenRoots and Caminatas Seguras for this experience.

New Wayfinding Signs Installed in Brighton

New Wayfinding Signs Installed in Brighton

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On Tuesday June 13th, 2023, WalkMassachusetts installed wayfinding signs in Brighton to make walking more accessible and straightforward in the area. This project is part of the larger research project Community Walks, which is in partnership with Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston Housing Authority (BHA). Designed by Nina Garfinkle, principal of Garfinkle Design and a WalkMassachusetts Board member, the signs point pedestrians towards local destinations with clear markings of walking and biking distances.

WalkMassachusetts Deputy Director of Advocacy Brendan Kearney and Board Member Nina Garfinkle install wayfinding signs along the sidewalk. These signs direct pedestrians to local parks, the library, Brighton Center, and other nearby points of interest.

Wayfinding signs encourage people to choose active modes of transportation in a way that is both safe and easy. The new signs in Brighton will help various community members, including residents of the Faneuil Gardens Boston Housing Development buildings, walk with more ease.

Staff Member Iolando Spinola and Summer Intern Stella Pintar are joined by Gianna Fernandez, a Boston Medical Center Healthy Living Advocate (HLA).

In total, 49 new signs were put up in the Brighton area. WalkMassachusetts appreciates our partnership with BMC and BHA and is excited to bring this project to areas around Boston. If you see one of these signs, be sure to scan the QR code to find maps as well as more information about the various walking routes. Additionally, feel free to explore the Community Walks page on our website to learn more about this project.

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, April 2023

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, April 2023

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Each month, we post about the fatal crashes in Massachusetts from the previous month, and share any trends that we see. For the full list of monthly posts, head here.

Last month, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in March; six were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in April 2023. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Crash Information.” Any Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 23 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in April in the MassDOT Crash portal, 5 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in April was 41.2.
  • 3 of the fatal crashes took place at intersections.
Date 4/3/2023, 2:43 PM
Location Lawrence St. + Erving St.
Town Lawrence
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 64
Sex F

According to a press release from the Essex District Attorney’s Office, 64-year old Silvana Seabra was struck by a van about 2:43 p.m. on April 3 at the intersection of Lawrence St and Erving [Avenue] in Lawrence. She passed away over a week later at Boston Medical Center. A man who also was struck suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at Lawrence General Hospital.

The intersection is a street crossing for the Spicket River Greenway and is adjacent to the Hayden Schofield Playstead park; Google Street View from October 2019 shows a faded crosswalk.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, each road at this intersection is under local jurisdiction. Erving Avenue is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on both sides (note: road inventory says 1 side). The speed limit is unclear, as it is unlisted and not viewable nearby on street view. Lawrence Street is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk and street parking on both sides of the street. The speed limit is unclear, as it is listed as 99 and not viewable nearby on street view.

Date 4/6/2023, 3:34 PM
Location Road Rd. at Lot 6
Town Dartmouth
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 19
Sex M

WBZ/CBS Boston reports that 19-year old UMass Dartmouth freshman Frank Petillo, Jr. was struck and killed by another student on the campus’ Ring Road. As of this posting, a petition for pedestrian safety improvements on the campus had over 7,000 signatures.

From WBZ:

His death quickly drew attention to the perceived lack of safety on Ring Road, the school’s main thoroughfare and Chancellor Mark Fuller on Monday announced several steps to make it safer, either right away or by the end of the academic year.

They include portable speed bumps, flashing speed limit signs, additional patrol cars, elevated speed tables and crosswalks, and concrete barriers to protect some walkways.

UMass also said it plans to build a new pedestrian walkway to connect the school to a nearby apartment complex.

Students say these changes are long overdue. “The speed limit is supposed to be 25,” student Kyrillos Kedees said. “We really don’t want that to happen again.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under state college or university jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There are no sidewalks on some sections of the roadway, with a sidewalk on one side for other sections. The speed limit is 25mph.

Date 4/8/2023, 9:23 PM
Location Daniel Shays Hwy.
Town Athol
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 29
Sex M

WWLP reports 29-year old Kyle Bezio was struck and killed after being hit by a car on Route 202 in the area of 150 Daniel Shays Highway. The 20-year old driver and his passenger stopped and tried to help Bezio before he was taken by ambulance to Athol Hospital.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is shoulder on each side and no sidewalks. The speed limit is listed as 35mph in one direction and 45mph in the opposing direction.

Date 4/9/2023, 8:21 PM
Location 258 Jefferson Ave.
Town Salem
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 41
Sex F

41-year old Tammi Lyn Guy was struck and killed as she was crossing Jefferson Avenue at Wilson Street on the night of Easter Sunday.

Boston.com spoke to Salem City Councilor Patti Morsillo about the crash:

“My heart breaks for Tammi Guy’s family,” Salem City Councilor Patti Morsillo told Boston.com in an email. “This was a tragedy, and happened right in her own neighborhood.”

Morsillo said that after years of accidents on the residential and school-area street, the Salem Police Department is gathering crash data from the intersection. She also said that Salem will conduct a city meeting “within a week or two” after the collection process is complete. She says the meeting would include the acting mayor, the Director of Traffic and Parking, the Police Chief, the Lieutenant in charge of the Traffic Division, the City Engineer, the City Electrician, and herself.

“Instead of prioritizing efficient throughput of vehicles, we need to create safer roads for everyone: pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.  The goal for every road should be zero crashes,” she said.

“We will look at the effectiveness of the street lights, road markings, crosswalk visibility, and geometry of the road, to determine what needs to be done to make the area safer,” Morsillo added.  “Salem has been working on intersection design upgrades in the area, and I am hoping to accelerate that work.  The issue of road safety requires a team approach, which is how this work will move forward.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 1 travel lane in each direction; Google Street View shows that drivers create a second lane on Jefferson through the intersection where parking is prohibited, but not restricted. There is a sidewalk on both sides of the street and a crosswalks for 2 of the 3 legs of the intersection. The speed limit is 25mph.

Date 4/23/2023, 9:35 PM
Location Gallivan Blvd. + Dorchester Ave.
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 53
Sex M

53-year old Torrance Hodges was struck and killed by the 52-year old driver of a 2006 Chevrolet Express van who was driving southbound with the green light on Gallivan Boulevard at Dorchester Avenue.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Gallivan Boulevard is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with 2 travel lanes in each direction. There is also a slip lane to Dorchester Avenue in each direction. There is a sidewalk and street parking on both sides of the street; street parking is restricted closer to the intersection. The speed limit is 30mph.

Updates

If you have an update about a community member who was killed in one of these crashes, please contact Brendan so we can update our 2023 list. WalkBoston has maintained a list each year since 2016, pulling the information from news reports, social media, and from people like you that share the information with us.

Yearly trackers:  |  ||||| 2022 | 2023

Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)
Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2022)

Reminder about the data from the MassDOT portal

MassDOT makes no representation as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, availability or completeness of the crash records or the data collected from them and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in such records or data. Under no circumstance will MassDOT have any liability for any loss or damage incurred by any party as a result of the use of the crash records or the data collected from them. Furthermore, the data contained in the web-based crash report tool are not an official record of what transpired in a particular crash or for a particular crash type. If a user is interested in an official copy of a crash report, contact the Registry (http://www.mass.gov/rmv/). The City of Boston Police Department may be contacted directly for official copies of crash reports and for crash data pertaining to the City of Boston. In addition, any crash records or data provided for the years after 2018 are subject to change at any time and are not to be considered up-to-date or complete. As such, open years’ of crash data are for informational purposes only and should not be used for analysis. The data posted on this website, including crash records and other reports, are collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions or railway-highway crossings. Under federal law, this information is not subject to discovery and cannot be admitted into evidence in any federal or state court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages that involves the sites mentioned in these records (see 23 USC, Section 409).