Tag: Boston

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, January 2023

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, January 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. We will be releasing a year in review for 2022 in the coming weeks to highlight common issues. You can read the year in review for 2021 here.

Last month, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in December; eight were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in January 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 17 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in January in the MassDOT Crash portal, 4 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in January was 59.5.
  • 2 of the crashes were hit & runs.
Date 1/9/2023, 4:51 PM
Location 90 South Main St.
Town Sharon
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 71
Sex M

The Sharon, MA Police Department shared on Facebook that 71 year-old Joel Singer was struck and killed by a driver on South Main Street at Chestnut Street. Multiple commenters reference drivers driving very fast in the town. One commenter made note of dark streets in Sharon:

But have to add one more thing that should be addressed: lack of proper street lighting in Sharon. I have noticed that the street lights are either very dim or far apart (not all streets are like that but many are) such that there are several dark patches.

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. There is a sidewalk on both sides. The speed limit is 30mph. Google Street View shows Sharon’s town hall at this location near a signalized intersection with crosswalks.

Date 1/20/2023, 10:35 PM
Location Melnea Cass Blvd. + Mass Ave.
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 73
Sex M

WCVB reports that a 73-year old man was walking and pushing a wheelchair when he was struck by the driver of a vehicle. The driver fled the scene; authorities located a vehicle of interest based on dashcam footage from another vehicle.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, part of this intersection is under MassDOT jurisdiction (Mass Ave Connector) and a portion is under local jurisdiction (Mass Ave, Melnea Cass Blvd, and Southampton St). From dashcam footage, it appears the crash location is under local jurisdiction. Both Melnea Cass Blvd and Mass Ave are two-way streets, with 1-2 turning lanes and 2 through lanes in each direction with a pedestrian island. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date 1/23/2023, 11:46 AM
Location 91 Concord Rd. EAST
Town Acton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 66
Sex F

WCVB reports that a 66-year old woman was struck and killed while checking her mail by the driver of a dark-colored van that fled the scene; the driver later contacted police. The article notes it was the third hit-and-run in Acton in the past few months.

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. There is a walking path on one side of the street next to a cemetery, on the opposite side from where houses are located. The speed limit is 35mph (though a sign near the location on Street View from September 2019 shows 30mph).

Date 1/30/2023, 9:13 AM
Location West St. (300 Block)
Town Pittsfield
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 28
Sex F

The Berkshire Eagle reports that Shaloon Milord and her 3-year old daughter were hit near Dorothea Amos Park by 84-year old Pittsfield resident Loraine Utter, who was driving a 2015 Toyota Yaris. Shaloon was transported to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

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. There is a sidewalk on both sides. The speed limit is 25mph.

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

Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)
Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2022) – anticipated report publication in March 2023

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).

Boston Globe: “Dangerous intersections and roads in Boston and Springfield are about to get multimillion-dollar upgrades”

Boston Globe: “Dangerous intersections and roads in Boston and Springfield are about to get multimillion-dollar upgrades”

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Boston Globe: “Dangerous intersections and roads in Boston and Springfield are about to get multimillion-dollar upgrades”

Brendan Kearney, deputy director of the advocacy group WalkBoston, said he was pleased to see federal dollars going toward road safety, not just traffic congestion. It’s an urgent issue, he said, and one that is literally life-or-death.

He recalls a particularly urgent conversation with a manager at the Boch Center’s Wang Theatre at Stuart and Tremont Streets, one of the intersections targeted for safety improvements.

“He’s incredibly nervous about the safety of their patrons,” Kearney said.

Kearney noted that the commitment to Springfield is meaningful, too.

His group, which advocates for walkability in communities statewide, released a report last spring that found Springfield, despite being about a quarter of the population of Boston, had the same number of fatal pedestrian crashes in 2021. In 2022, Springfield saw 12 fatal crashes and 94 serious injury crashes, according to state data, and Boston saw 23 fatal crashes and 31 serious injury crashes.

Posted February 1, 2023

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, December 2022

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, December 2022

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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. Earlier this year, we released a year in review for 2021 to highlight common issues.

Last month, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in November; nine were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in December 2022. 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 34 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in December in the MassDOT Crash portal, 8 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in December was 56.125.
  • We could not find any additional information for two of the fatal crashes.
Date 12/10/2022, 11:02 AM
Location 331 Highland Ave.
Town Salem
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 69
Sex F

NBC10Boston reports 69-year old Karen Raffa was struck and killed by a 87-year old driver in the parking lot of a doctor’s office.

This fatal crash happened in a parking lot, which is usually not included in FARS crash data. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Highland Avenue (State Route 107) is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two way divided street, with two lanes and a shoulder in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is unclear, with 35mph and 45mph both listed in the database.

Date 12/11/2022, 2:38 AM
Location I-93 NORTH, near EXIT 15
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 26
Sex M

We could not find any additional news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

There was a fatal pedestrian crash near this location in the southbound lanes of I-93 in October.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-93 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with 4 travel lanes in each direction with a divided median. The speed limit is 55mph. 

Date 12/12/2022, 12:48 PM
Location Harrison Ave. + Bernardston Rd.
Town Greenfield
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 72
Sex M

We could not find any additional news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Bernardston Road is under MassDOT jurisdiction and Harrison Avenue is under local jurisdiction. Each is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is 30mph. 

Date 12/14/2022, 3:42 PM
Location Congress St. + Dwight St.
Town Springfield
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 62
Sex M

A 62-year old man was struck and killed by a driver at Congress and Dwight Street in Springfield.

WWLP talked to a police spokesperson in response to this crash:

Walsh said Springfield police officers have issued 2,000 more traffic citations this year than last year already. The department credits that for reducing the number of deadly crashes, nine this year compared to 20 last year.

“Things have gotten better in the city of Springfield thanks to the enforcement and all the infrastructure efforts being forth by Chris Cignoli and the DPW,” said Walsh.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and the Police Department said they were frustrated by the court’s role in this, calling on the justice system to keep some of these dangerous drivers off the roads.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Congress Street and Dwight Street are both under local jurisdiction. Congress Street is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. Dwight Street is a two way street, with two lanes in each direction and an additional turn lane at the signalized intersection.There is a sidewalk on each side of both streets. There are crosswalks at all four legs of the intersection. The speed limit for Congress Street is 30mph. The speed limit is unclear for Dwight Street, as it is not indicated in the database.

Date 12/20/2022, 5:34 PM
Location 251 Piper Rd. + Monastery Ave.
Town West Springfield
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 25
Sex F

Neely Murray and her dog, Chance, were hit and killed by a 22-year old driver while they were crossing the street in a crosswalk.

Western Mass News spoke to a nearby resident:

“I realized that the accident happened the road was blocked off and I immediately thought of that crosswalk at Monastery as we’ve had problems there many times in the past,” said Nichole Bottaro of West Springfield.

Bottaro is just one of many residents who told Western Mass News that people drive too fast in that area of town.

“There have been times where we stood at the crosswalk for at least 10 minutes, not a single car has stopped. There have been times where cars have stopped and a car behind them tried to go out and around when we are mid crosswalk and almost been hit,” Bottaro added.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Piper Road and Monastery Avenue are under local jurisdiction. Each road is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of Piper Road at this location, and on one side beyond the intersection; there are no sidewalks on Monastery Ave. There is a crosswalk at this location across Piper Rd. The speed limit is 35mph. 

Date 12/23/2022, 11:31 AM
Location SR-132 (1481 Iyannough Rd.)
Town Centerville
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 31
Sex M

The Cape Cod Times reports a 31-year old man was struck and killed by the driver of a disposal truck on Route 132 in Hyannis. (Centerville is one of the seven villages of Hyannis.)

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Iyannough Road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two way road, with two lanes in each direction and a median. There is a sidewalk on one side. The speed limit is 45mph. 

Date 12/26/2022, 1:27 PM
Location 93 West St.
Town Douglas
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 71
Sex F

NBC1oBoston reports 71-year old Dong Mei Ying was struck and killed near her driveway on West Street by the driver of a Honda CRV. The name of the driver has not been released, but police said they were under age 18.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, West Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is no sidewalk. The speed limit is unclear, with 99mph and 30mph both listed in the database.

Date 12/26/2022, 8:43 PM
Location 414 North Main St.
Town Sharon
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 93
Sex M

WCVB reports 93-year old Joseph Vasconcelos was struck and killed by a driver on Route 27 (North Main Street), near the intersection of Bayberry Drive and the entrance to the Sharon Green Condominiums.

The Boston Globe shared a quote from the District Attorney’s office:

“There was significant damage on the passenger side, which would be consistent with hitting someone who was walking in the roadway, on the side of the road,” Traub said.

What is not included in the article is that there is only a sidewalk on one side of North Main Street.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, North Main Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side. The speed limit is 35mph.

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 2022 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

Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)

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).

Comment Letter Re: Boston Common Master Plan

Comment Letter Re: Boston Common Master Plan

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Nathan Frazee
Project Manager
Boston Common Master Plan
Boston Parks Department
1010 Massachusetts Ave.
Boston, MA 02118
via email: nathan.frazee@boston.gov 

RE: WalkBoston Comments on 2022 Boston Common Master Plan

Dear Mr. Frazee:

WalkBoston has followed the progress for the Boston Common Master Plan over the last few years, and we appreciate the time and attention that has been placed on creating an inviting public realm and an enhanced sense of arrival and safer crosswalks at all entrances. We’ve highlighted some sections from the draft report below.

Park Entrances: 

  • We encourage the Parks Department to work with the Transportation Department to ensure the important mid-block crossing of Charles Street at Mayor’s Walk is a raised crosswalk; the draft language hedges in saying it is “A large crosswalk, possibly elevated.” Many people drive way too fast on Charles Street; a raised crosswalk will help calm traffic between two significant parks. 
  • The Shaw 54th Memorial was left out of an earlier draft since it is not accessible from the Boston Common (and due to restoration work by the National Park Service); we are pleased to see that an accessible entrance to the Common from the Shaw 54th Memorial is incorporated into the draft as an early action project.
  • We are pleased to see an early action project for Park Street Station’s plaza will further develop a proposed grading scheme to create an accessible path similar to how Government Center combines stairs and ramps. We had concerns with the previous draft that seemed to frame a direct route down the hill near Park Street onto the plaza at a location near the curbs of Tremont Street. 

Seating & Benches:

  • The report states there are approximately 238 benches in different states of repair today on the Common, down from 390 at the time of the 1996 Management Plan. We are very pleased to see a commitment to both increasing the number of benches available in the Common and providing a higher level of accessibility for existing and new locations, including prioritizing bench locations with new tree plantings for shade. 
  • It is noted that “Armrests should be considered as an accessibility measure; armrests help the elderly and all park users more easily stand up from a seated position. In this way, benches can be used to further the social agenda of the park, making the experience more equitable and accessible for all visitors.” During our Age-Friendly work in Boston with the Age-Strong Commission, participants have expressed that benches with arms help them both with sitting and standing back up from a bench. 
  • We encourage you to look at the improvements the City of Boston made to Cassidy Playground in Allston-Brighton. The redesign created many different seating options, including benches with and without arms, that give park users the opportunity to find seating that works best for their needs at the time. We hope that you can find a solution that meets the needs of older adults without creating hostile architecture. 

Safer bike facilities to reduce bike/ped conflict:

  • Thank you for the continuation of the current policy of excluding bicycle riding in the park. We appreciate the support for the Transportation Department’s work to create better bike facilities on the streets surrounding the Common. If those lanes are a safe option, more people biking will use them. This policy assures the safety and calm of the paths for pedestrians and avoids conflicts between walkers and cyclists. 

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Brendan Kearney
Deputy Director of Advocacy, WalkBoston

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 2022

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 2022

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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. Earlier this year, we released a year in review for 2021 to highlight common issues.

Last month, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in September; ten were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in October 2022. 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 40 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in October in the MassDOT Crash portal, 12 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in October was 50.75.
  • There were at least five arrests made in connection to October’s fatal pedestrian crashes. In at least two of the crashes, drivers left the scene and were later arrested; a driver was arrested for operating under the influence, resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer; a driver was arrested for unlicensed operation; and a dirt bike rider was arrested for several motor vehicle offenses.
Date 10/1/2022, 2:29 AM
Location I-93 SOUTH, MM 12.4
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 34
Sex M

MassLive reports that 34-year old Christian Yemga was struck and killed after he was struck on I-93 after his own car struck a guardrail and became disabled, prompting him to exit the vehicle. The driver of the car that struck him stopped, and another driver then crashed into that vehicle. The two people in the stopped car were taken to a hospital in Boston to be treated for serious injuries; the driver of the vehicle that hit the stopped car was charged with operating under the influence, resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-93 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with 4 travel lanes in each direction with a divided median. The speed limit is 55mph. This section also includes a short shoulder/pull off.

Date 10/3/2022, 8:27 AM
Location 22 Coleman St.
Town Gardner
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 69
Sex F

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that 69-year old Paula MacKenzie, a Gardner resident, was struck and killed by the driver of a Department of Public Works truck around 8:30am on a Monday morning. 

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Coleman Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is not indicated in the database. 

Date 10/4/2022, 8:57 PM
Location 35 Spring St.
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 57
Sex M

WCVB reported that a person was struck and seriously injured after they were struck by a vehicle on Spring Street in West Roxbury, and that rain was falling at the time of the incident. We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident; the 57-year old person passed away from the crash.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with two lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. A bus stop shelter is on one side of the street. The speed limit is 30mph.

Date 10/6/2022, 8:19 PM
Location SR-28 SOUTH (158 Main St.)
Town North Reading
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 55
Sex F

We could not find any additional news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with two lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. The speed limit is 40mph.

A little over a mile away on Route 28 in Reading, Streetsblog MASS reported that MassDOT implemented a pilot road diet on Route 28 to make the street safer; last year, it was converted from pilot to permanent. The road diet removed one vehicle lane from two state-run segments of Route 28 to convert the roadway from a four-lane roadway to a three-lane street with shoulders and a center-running left-turn lane.

Also in the news in North Reading in October, WCVB reported that a driver was arrested after striking and injuring a 4-year old who was being pulled in a wagon by a parent: 

Near the crash site, the girl’s family has posted a picture of her lying in a hospital bed with injuries to her forehead and wearing a neck brace. A message posted next to the picture reads, in part, “The driver left my daughter on the side of the road bleeding and helpless after speeding away.” The stretch of Lakeshore Boulevard has no sidewalks, has several twists and turns and small hills. Neighbors said for years they’ve been asking for speed bumps or some other way to keep walkers safe. “If you’re not safe on a sunny, bright, dry day walking your child in a wagon, when are you safe?” Garvey said.

Date 10/8/2022, 5:14 AM
Location I-495 NORTH, MM 36
Town Plainville
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 41
Sex M

The Boston Globe reports that a 41-year old man was struck and killed by the driver of a Volvo SUV on I-495 in Plainville. A car registered to the victim was found unoccupied in the breakdown lane a short distance away.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-495 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with three travel lanes in each direction with a divided median. The speed limit is 65mph.

Date 10/8/2022, 8:23 PM
Location 482 Springfield St.
Town Chicopee
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 34
Sex M

WWLP reports that 34-year old Nickolas Weichel was walking to his car when he was hit by 22-year old Nazier Grandison who was speeding at 70mph on the wrong side of the road. He was arrested and charged with motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a personal injury crash. 

Western Mass News interviewed Nikolas’ friends and family:

[Former co-worker Carl] Scheinost told Western Mass News that Weichel was a man who absolutely loved life, made everyone laugh, and didn’t know a stranger. “Nick was the kind of guy who worked to live. His life after work was the most important thing to him,” he added. Most of all, Scheinost said that his friend did not deserve to die so young, as he had so many years ahead of him to bring joy to those who knew him. However, he said that he will continue to remember the biggest lesson he learned from Nick. “What are we working for? You’re working for a better life. Live your life. It can be over quick, as we all learned the hard way,” Scheinost said.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Springfield Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one travel lane in each direction. There is parking on each side of the street, and a sidewalk on both sides. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 25mph and 35mph in the database; the WWLP article above says the DA’s office said the speed limit is 30 mph.

Date 10/13/2022, 6:33 PM
Location 248 Great Rd.
Town Acton
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 44
Sex M

44-year old Kevin Shaw was struck and killed on Great Road (Rt 2A/119) in Acton by the 17-year old driver of a Subaru wagon near the Gould’s Plaza, which includes a Donelan’s Supermarket. 

From the Metrowest Daily News: 

Since the pedestrian crash, the Acton Select Board has voted to put crosswalk lighting in the area where the crash occurred. It still needs approval by the state. 

Last week, a 13-year-old boy was struck by a hit-and-run driver, also on Great Road. The boy, who was in a crosswalk, was flown to a Boston hospital with serious injuries. Police said Monday they have seized a vehicle they believe was involved in that incident.

Friends have created a “Safe Streets for Kevin” form so people can email the Acton Town Manager, John S. Mangiaratti, and Barry Lorion, who is the State District 3 Highway Director which includes jurisdiction over Great Road in Acton, MA. “It’s the wish of his friends and family that action be taken immediately to improve the road crossing where he was hit. This was a known dangerous crossing. Steps have been taken by the town and state to make improvements, but we want to guarantee that quick action will be taken to prevent something like this from happening again.” You can send an email here.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side of Great Road, opposite the shopping plaza. There is a crosswalk at the intersection of Brooks Street and Great Road. The speed limit is 40mph.

Date 10/20/2022, 7:01 PM
Location 2 High St.
Town Monson
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 56
Sex F

Western Mass News reports that a 56-year old woman was struck and killed by a motorcyclist on High Street. From the article:

Monson Police said that they were alerted around 7 p.m. Thursday that Ware and Palmer Police tried to stop a motorcycle, that was described as a dirt bike, in their towns and that it was seen heading toward the area of State Avenue and Upper Palmer Road in Monson. Both Ware and Palmer Police reportedly ended their attempts to stop the motorcycle before it got to Monson. A Monson police officer found the motorcycle traveling south on Margaret Street, near Quarry Hill School, and another officer saw it pass him heading south on High Street as the officer headed north. “While both officers were attempting to locate the motorcycle, they discovered it had struck a pedestrian in the vicinity of the Monson Free Library on High Street and crashed,” police explained…The operator of the motorcycle was arrested and charged with several motor vehicle offenses.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. This location is in front of the Monson Free Library, and there is a crosswalk and stop sign. The speed limit is 30mph. 

Date 10/22/2022, 9:41 PM
Location I-93 SOUTH, EXIT 15A
Town Boston
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 49
Sex M

49-year old Mark McAuliffe was struck and killed by the driver of a Toyota Highlander on I-93 near South Bay in Boston.  

Preliminary investigation from Mass State Police reveals that the victim was attempting to cross Route 93 in the area of exit 15 from west to east. The pedestrian crossed the southbound lanes and the median and then entered the northbound side, where he was immediately struck by a 2019 Toyota Highlander sport utility vehicle in the left lane.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-93 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with 4 travel lanes in each direction with a divided median. The speed limit is 55mph. This section includes an additional service road / on ramp.

Date 10/23/2022, 9:35 PM
Location 330 Middlesex Ave.
Town Medford
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 77
Sex M

77-year old Walter Wishoski from Malden was struck and killed by the driver of a Ford Fiesta on Middlesex Ave near Wendy’s and Townline Plaza. The plaza is near the Medford/Malden town line, where Middlesex Ave in Medford becomes Highland Ave in Malden. NBC Boston reports that the driver, Everton Candido, was arrested and expected to be charged for unlicensed operation.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with two lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. A bus stop is on each side of the street. There is not a crosswalk to access the plaza. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 25mph and 30mph in the database.

Date 10/29/2022, 6:16 PM
Location 417 Springfield St.
Town Chicopee
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 73
Sex F

A 73-year old woman was struck and killed on Springfield St in Chicopee. We could not find any additional news coverage of this crash. If you have any information, please let us know.

This is 1/10 of a mile – just a 2 minute walk – from a fatal crash on Springfield Street earlier in the month. In the distance of this Google Street View, a person is crossing the street at a crosswalk that has highway crash barriers along the street. 

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Springfield Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one travel lane in each direction. There is parking on each side of the street, and a sidewalk on both sides. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 25mph and 35mph in the database.

Date 10/29/2022, 10:08 PM
Location SR-9 EAST + South St.
Town Shrewsbury
Type PEDESTRIAN
Age 20
Sex F

Community Advocate reports that 20-year old Ghufran Mutar was crossing Route 9 at the intersection with South Street on her way home from working at CVS just after 10 p.m. on Oct. 30 when she was struck and killed. Jerry Santiago Jr, the driver of a Dodge Journey SUV, left the scene. He was arrested days later and charged with leaving the scene of personal injury resulting in death and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Route 9 is under MassDOT jurisdiction, and South Street is under local jurisdiction. Route 9 is a two-way divided roadway, with two lanes in each direction and additional left turn lanes at the intersection. There are no sidewalks on either street, and no crosswalks for any leg of the intersection. The speed limit is unclear, with fields showing 35mph and 99mph in the database.

There is a grocery store plaza on one side of Route 9 and the CVS that Ghufran worked at is on the other side of Route 9.

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 2022 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

Report: Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021)

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