Tag: Cape Cod

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, September 2023

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, September 2023

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 August; six were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in September 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 31 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in September in the MassDOT Crash portal, 4 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in September was 40.25.

Date9/1/2023, 7:59 PM
LocationWorthington St. + Bowdoin St.
TownSpringfield
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age25
SexM

WWLP reports an unidentified 25-year old man was struck and killed by a driver on Worthington Street in Springfield.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Worthington Street and Bowdoin Street are both under local jurisdiction. Each is a two-way street with one lane in each direction and sidewalks on both sides. Bowdoin Street has stop signs at the intersection. The speed limit is 30mph. Google Streetview images are from 2019, but shows curb ramps and faded crosswalks to walk across Bowdoin Street; there are no crosswalks or curb ramps across Worthington Street at this intersection. (A police spokesperson said the person was not in a crosswalk without sharing this important detail.)


Date9/17/2023, 7:53 PM
Location391 Hancock St.
TownSpringfield
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age42
SexF

WWLP reports that an unidentified 42-year old woman was killed after two drivers struck her on Hancock Street in Springfield. One of the drivers remained at the crash, but the driver of the other car left the scene.

Western Mass News spoke to John Vivenzio, who lives nearby:

Vivenzio lives steps away from the area where the woman was struck by the cars on Sunday. He told us he is now worried about possible safety issues for other pedestrians and even those driving down Hancock Street.

“That light wasn’t on. I don’t remember the last time that light was ever on, so it was dark that way and with these lights that do come on, it’s not that bright as it is,” Vivenzio added. “People speed around here all the time. I mean, I’m out here, even during the day, and I’ll start whistling ‘Slow down!’ We’ve had dogs killed out here and stuff. You know, it’s crazy for speeding. People just don’t do it and I don’t know what we can do to stop it ‘cause it just keeps happening.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Hancock Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street with one lane in each direction and sidewalks on both sides. The speed limit is unclear, as it is not listed in the database; the corner of Hancock and Florence St (302 Hancock Street) has a “School Speed Limit 20mph, 7am to 3pm” sign posted.


Date9/27/2023, 9:51 PM
LocationSR-132 (1800 Iyannough Rd.)
TownBarnstable / Hyannis
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age54
SexF

CapeCod.com reports an unidentified 54-year old Hyannis resident was struck and killed by the driver of a blue Saturn Vue SUV on Route 132 near the intersection with Shootflying Hill Rd.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, SR-132 (Iyannough Rd) is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way street with two lanes in each direction and no sidewalks on either side. The speed limit is 45mph. There are no crosswalks to cross Iyannough Rd at the intersection of Shootflying Hill Rd.


Date9/29/2023, 5:10 AM
LocationUS-3 SOUTH, EXIT 38B
TownWeymouth
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age40
SexM

The Boston Globe reports a 40-year old man was struck and killed in a three-car crash on Route 3 South. (A person driving is classified as a pedestrian when they exit their vehicle. Since this is listed in the data as a pedestrian crash, a driver may have gotten out of their vehicle if it was broken down on the roadway.)

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, US-3 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with three travel lanes and shoulders in each direction. The speed limit is 60mph.


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).

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, August 2023

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, August 2023

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 July; three were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in August 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 31 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in August in the MassDOT Crash portal, 6 were identified as people walking.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in August was 52.3.
  • At least 1 took place in a parking lot, which is usually not included in FARS crash data.

Date8/2/2023, 9:27 PM
Location1233 SR-5 EAST
TownHolyoke
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age53
SexM

Western Mass News reports a driver of a Jeep struck and killed a 53-year old person walking in the southbound left lane near 1233 Main Street in Holyoke.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Main Street/SR-5 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is two-way street with two lanes in each direction, a median barrier, and a sidewalk on the northbound side. The speed limit is 45 mph.


Date8/7/2023, 6:43 PM
Location85 MacArthur Dr.
TownNew Bedford
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age36
SexM

NBC Boston reports 36-year old John Blomgren was struck and killed by a 56-year old driver just before 7pm in a sports bar’s parking lot.

This fatal crash happened in a parking lot, which is usually not included in FARS crash data. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, MacArthur Drive is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street with one lane in each direction, sidewalks on both sides, and bike lanes in each direction. The speed limit is unclear, with 99mph listed in the database.


Date8/18/2023, 9:18 PM
Location430 Union St.
TownRockland
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age63
SexM

Boston 25 News reports 63-year old Richard Erwin was struck and killed by 18-year old Jacob Ryan who was driving a brown KIA Optima around 9pm.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Union Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street with one lane in each direction, sidewalks on both sides, and bike lanes in each direction. The speed limit is unclear, with 99mph listed in the database.


Date8/24/2023, 3:56 PM
Location790 High St.
TownHanson
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age90
SexM

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

This fatal crash happened on a roadway within a cemetery, private parking areas are usually not included in FARS crash data. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, High Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street with no sidewalks. The speed limit is unclear, as it is not listed and not viewable nearby on street view.


Date8/27/2023, 3:08 AM
LocationUS-6 EAST, EXIT 78A
TownDennis
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age21
SexM

Cape Cod Times/Yahoo News shared that a serious multi-vehicle crash in Dennis shut down Route 6 eastbound early Sunday morning. 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, US-6 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a divided highway with a grassy median, with two lanes and a shoulder in each direction. The speed limit is 55mph.


Date8/31/2023, 8:06 PM
Location248 Dickinson St.
TownSpringfield
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age51
SexF

A 51-year old woman was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle on Dickinson Street in Springfield.

WWLP/22News spoke to community members nearby:

“They drive a little too fast and we have to watch and make sure they clear before I walk,” said Cathy Tai, owner of Cathy’s Beauty Supply.

“The biggest problem that I find living here and crossing these streets is just people that drive aggressively. They come around the corner, they don’t expect someone to be standing there trying to cross,” said Thomas Balcom of Springfield.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Dickinson Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way street, with one lane in each direction with sidewalks on both sides. 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).

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, November 2021

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, November 2021

Each month in 2021, we plan to 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 the seven fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in October. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in November 2021. The information in the chart below is compiled from news reports, and was checked against the MassDOT Crash Portal Dashboard “Fatal Information by Year.” The Google Street View images included below use the address listed in the crash portal.

  • Of the 36 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in November in the MassDOT Crash portal, eight were identified as people walking. We have also included one additional fatal pedestrian crash that was covered in the Cape Cod Times which may not have been submitted yet to MassDOT (as of 12/16).
  • The crash portal does not include names. The name of three of the people walking who died have not been made public yet.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in November was 68.3.
  • At least two of the crashes were hit & runs (as referenced in news articles).
  • The name of the person driving was only identified in two of the crashes in news articles that we found.

Date11/3/2021, 12:28 PM
Location632 State St.
TownSpringfield
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age40
SexM

40-year-old Michael Diaz Vargas was struck and killed on State Street in Springfield. WWLP reported that the 26-year-old driver, Eric Reyes of Springfield, faces charges of motor vehicle homicide by negligence and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. It is two-way, with 2 travel lanes in each direction, separated by a grassy median. There is a sidewalk on each side. There is no crosswalk across State Street. The speed limit is listed as 35mph.


Date11/5/2021, 11:30 AM
LocationWashington St. + Downing Rd.
TownBrookline
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age63
SexF

Brookline Patch reported that 63-year-old Patricia “Patty” Arellano was in a crosswalk when she was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle. The unidentified driver was cited for failure to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. She had been traveling on Washington Street and turned right onto Downing Road where she struck Patty.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, both streets are under local jurisdiction. Washington Street is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. There is a crosswalk across Downing Road where Patty was struck. The speed limit is 30mph.

In January 2020, WalkBoston met with Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon and representatives of Boston’s Office of Neighborhood Services and Age Strong Commission at the B’nai B’rith Housing’s Covenant House & Patricia White Apartments (a 3 minute walk on Washington Street from the location in Brookline where Patty was killed). Residents shared that drivers speed along Washington Street mainly during non-rush hour times of day as they come down the hill on Washington away from Commonwealth Avenue, which leads to dangerous conditions for pedestrians trying to use the crosswalks. The City of Boston has since implemented changes to those crosswalks as part of the Allston Brighton Mobility Plan.


Date11/9/2021, 7:15 AM
LocationI-495 NORTH + SR-138
TownRaynham
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age57
SexM

MassLive reported that 57-year-old Christopher Sheppard was hit and killed in a multiple vehicle crash on I-495. From the MassLive story:

Lauren Dyer, 62, of Braintree, who was driving a pickup truck, was pronounced dead at the scene after being crushed between two vehicles. Another driver, Christopher Sheppard, who was hit while on foot outside his vehicle, died Tuesday night in a Rhode Island Hospital, authorities say. He was transported to the hospital after the incident with severe injuries.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a limited access highway, with 3 travel lanes in each direction, separated by a grassy median. The speed limit is listed as 65mph.


Date11/9/2021, 5:11 PM
Location1367 Main St.
TownBrockton
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age73
SexF

The Boston Globe reported an unidentified 73-year-old woman was fatally struck and killed by a driver in Brockton on Main Street. The article included a statement from the Plymouth District Attorney’s office: “Brockton Police contacted Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and an investigation commenced. The investigation is ongoing at this time.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. (Main Street is Route 28, and some sections of Route 28 in Brockton are under MassDOT control.) Main Street is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. There is a crosswalk without curb ramps across Main Street at this address. The speed limit is 35mph.


Date11/10/2021, 6:14 PM
Location235 State St.
TownSpringfield
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age56
SexF

StreetsblogMASS reported a driver struck and killed Gayle Ball, a Springfield City library employee, age 56, while she was crossing State Street. It was the third death caused by a motor vehicle driver on State Street so far this year and second pedestrian that was hit/killed in November.

MassLive reported that the city is now making a change to State Street:

In a press briefing in city hall, public works director Christopher Cignoli said the redesign is thought of as the best way to address the safety concerns on State Street caused by the conflicting issues of pedestrians not using a crosswalk and vehicles driving fast or recklessly.

As part of the redesign, the city intends to install a crosswalk, elevated 4 to 8 inches above the roadway, between the Central Library and St. Michael’s Cathedral.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. It is two-way, with 2 travel lanes in each direction, separated by a grassy median. There is a sidewalk on each side. There is no crosswalk across State Street. The speed limit is listed as 35mph in the Road Inventory. (It is posted as 25mph in one direction and 30mph in the other direction on Google Streetview, which dates to September 2019).


Date11/22/2021, approx 5:47 PM
LocationRoute 28 near junction of Orchard Road and Asher’s Path
TownMashpee
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age91
SexF

This crash was not listed in the crash portal as of 12/16; this info is from Cape Cod Times reporting.

The Cape Cod Times reported 91-year-old Dorothy Henderson was struck by two vehicles several minutes after she exited a Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority bus at the junction of Orchard Road and Asher’s Path on Route 28 in Mashpee on Nov. 22, according to Mashpee police. Although Henderson was initially conscious after the accident, she died from her injuries on the way to the hospital. The two drivers were not identified.

Her friend, Frances Delgado, described the intersection near the crash location:

With no crosswalk, or pedestrian stop signal at the Route 28 intersection, Delgado said cars must have had a hard time spotting [Dorothy]. “The green light is so short. You can barely make a turn there, let alone somebody walking across there. It’s so dark. You can’t see anybody out there,” Delgado said. “After this is all said and done, we need a crosswalk or safety precautions put in place. We are a 55 and older living community and it’s not right that our lives are at risk in this way.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this road is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a painted median, which is replaced by a turning lane on approach to the intersection. There are no sidewalks on this portion of Route 28. There are no crosswalks at the intersection. The speed limit is 50mph.


Date11/23/2021, 6:44 PM
LocationLynnway + Newhall St.
TownLynn
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age76
SexM

NBC Boston reported that an unidentified 76-year-old Lynn resident was struck and killed in a crosswalk on the Lynnway by the driver of a 2007 Jeep Commander, a 32-year-old Lynn resident.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under MassDCR jurisdiction. It is two-way, divided parkway, with 2 travel lanes and parking in one direction and 3 travel lanes in the other direction. There is a sidewalk on each side. There is a crosswalk and signal at Newhall Street. The speed limit is 35mph.


Date11/30/2021, 7:47 AM
Location172 Winslow Gray Rd. NORTH
TownYarmouth
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age85
SexM

85-year-old Alexander Gribko was struck and killed on a side access road along Winslow Gray Road in Yarmouth. The driver fled the scene. Alexander was found by a police officer on routine patrol in the morning, though police believe he may have been struck a little after 5pm the day before while returning home from an afternoon walk. Police are still trying to identify the driver and the vehicle that struck Gribko, according to a Cape Cod Times article from mid-December.

WCVB spoke to Alexander’s neighbors:

“He’s friendly. He’d talk with all the people up and down the street, because he was out walking,” said resident Phil Johnston.

Residents are in shock that anyone could hit Gribko and leave him to die in the dark and the cold.

“It’s absurd. I just don’t get it. How could anybody do that?” asked resident Tom Vuono.

The address is listed as 172 Winslow Gray Rd in the crash portal; NBC Boston’s coverage shows tire tracks and police evidence markings along the side access road. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. It is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There are no sidewalks, but there is a side access road. The speed limit is 30mph.


Date11/30/2021, 12:54 PM
LocationNorth Main St. + Wright St.
TownPalmer
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age74
SexM

WWLP reported 74-year-old Joseph Labroad of Palmer died after being struck by a vehicle allegedly driven by 33-year-old Nicole Mantanes of Palmer. The driver left the scene but was located soon after. She faces seven counts including: OUI Liquor 2nd offense, negligent operation of a MV, marked lanes violation, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury/ death, motor vehicle homicide, speeding, and inspection sticker violation.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under local jurisdiction. This stretch of North Main Street is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of the road up to Wright Street, and on one side after it. There are no crosswalks at 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 . 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:  |||||


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).

Call for public input in the Cape Cod Bridge Replacement process

Call for public input in the Cape Cod Bridge Replacement process

Bob Sloane, who calls the Cape home for much of the summer, recently published an opinion piece in the Cape Cod Times describing the replacement of the Cape Cod bridges as a “big, expensive once-in-a-lifetime event.” For those of you who know Bob’s commitment to the Allston multi-modal project, these adjectives sound eerily familiar. Read about Bob’s latest call for public input here.

Hot and humid in Hyannis? Perfect time for a Walk Audit

Hot and humid in Hyannis? Perfect time for a Walk Audit

After experiencing drenching rain during a walk audit in June in Yarmouth, the skies were clear for yesterday’s trip to Cape Cod for a walk audit in Barnstable – but the heat and humidity were out in full force! Thanks to representatives from the Barnstable Dept. of Public Works, Dept. of Planning, the Cape Cod Mall/Simon Malls, and the Cape Cod Commission for braving the conditions and contributing their time on this EOPSS-funded walk along Rt 132 yesterday to look at opportunities for improving connections along and across this corridor.