Tag: monthly crash review ’23

WalkMassachusetts releases MA pedestrian crash report and tools to advocate for safer streets

WalkMassachusetts releases MA pedestrian crash report and tools to advocate for safer streets

BOSTON, March 29, 2024 – In 2023, one in every five (20%) fatal motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts involved a person walking getting hit by the driver of a car. Forty cities and towns experienced at least one fatal pedestrian crash over the course of the year, with eight municipalities seeing multiple crashes. More than half (54%) of the deaths occurred in environmental justice communities. 

These insights come from Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2023) WalkMassachusetts’ third annual report tracking pedestrian deaths from motor vehicles around the Commonwealth. Along with calculating the number of pedestrian deaths, the report provides time-of-day, geographic, and other insights to inform solutions for safer streets.

“We are heartbroken each year learning the stories of people walking who lose their lives in these senseless, and largely preventable, crashes,” said Brendan Kearney, co-executive director of WalkMassachusetts. “One factor emerges again and again in these crashes: vehicle speed. Our roads are designed for people to drive too fast. We witness residents across the Commonwealth wanting to advocate for changes in the streets in their own community – and we stand ready to help.”

Older adults (people aged 65 or older) continue to be disproportionately harmed, making up 31.9% of victims while representing only 18% of the state’s population. 

“People of all ages deserve to be safe as we move within and between our communities,” said Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative (MHAC) Executive Director James Fuccione. “For older adults to be active, engaged and included in community life means having infrastructure that prioritizes safety and connection to things we all find meaningful. This data is proof that there is more to be done as we collectively need to advance and quicken the progress being made.”

With over three-quarters of fatal pedestrian crashes in 2023 happening on local streets controlled by a city or town (76.8%), WalkMassachusetts is introducing a new resource to educate and empower people to create safer streets in their own communities: the Walk Audit Academy video series. This series will provide guidance on the elements of what creates a safe street and how to organize a group of friends and neighbors to take action on specific streets.

In addition, WalkMassachusetts is offering a Walk Audit Academy training program, where staff will work with a cohort of three to five groups within a community in a hands-on manner.

People can learn more about both programs here or at www.walkmass.org/waa

“Las auditorías peatonales y los días de demostración con intervenciones temporales permiten a las personas dar su opinión y ver posibles cambios en una calle,” said Noemy Rodriguez, Waterfront Initiative Organizer with GreenRoots in Chelsea. 

[Translation: Walk audits and demonstration days with temporary installations allow people to give feedback and see possible changes to a street.]

WalkMassachusetts’ efforts align with other promising programs being led by MassDOT, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and local cities, including:

  • At least 10 Regional Vision Zero planning efforts are just starting, with funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary grant program. This is a sign that planning investments on a regional level have happened since our report in March 2023 to respond to safety issues on our roadways.
  • MassDOT has provided 281 school zone assemblies to 130 communities, and is developing a multi-year program to enhance bus stop crossings where pedestrian risk is high or there is a high potential for walking; they are starting with State-owned roadways (reviewing 212 bus stop locations).
  • The City of Boston has rolled out a “Safety Surge,” which focuses on three main areas: Speed Humps, Safer Intersections, and Safer Signals.

Other key crash data from the report

While total pedestrian deaths have dipped slightly from last year’s all-time high of 101 deaths, this year’s total of 69 deaths sits at the average of pedestrian deaths over the past 22 years. Other key insights include:

  • Boston, Springfield, and Brockton have had at least three fatal crashes each year that WalkMassachusetts has released a report.
  • More than three quarters (76.8%) of the fatalities took place on streets controlled by municipalities. Less than 20% (18.8%) were on MassDOT roads.
  • Almost 70% of the fatal pedestrian crashes occurred in the dark (before sunrise or after sunset).
  • More than half (54%) of fatal pedestrian crashes took place in Environmental Justice Census Block Groups.
  • 70.8% of the vehicles people were driving in these fatal crashes were passenger cars, while 21.5% were light trucks. (All vans, minivans, pickups, and SUVs are combined into the “light truck” category.)
  • 7 crashes were hit-and-run resulting in 8 deaths, where the driver left the scene of the crash.

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About WalkMassachusetts

WalkMassachusetts makes walking safer and easier in Massachusetts to encourage better health, a cleaner environment, and more vibrant communities. Founded in 1990 as WalkBoston, the organization envisions a Massachusetts where people walking – no matter their race, identity, age, ability, or lived experience – feel safe, connected, and valued on our streets and sidewalks.

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, December 2023

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, December 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.

In our previous post, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in November; six were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in December 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 35 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in December in the MassDOT Crash portal, 8 were identified as people walking.
  • Similar to last month, some of the pedestrian crashes had the ‘speed limit’ field blank in the Road Inventory Viewer. We are now also using the MassGIS-MassDOT Roads layer to check for speed limit information.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in December was 58.7. (One crash victim’s age was not released.)

Date12/6/2023, 4:40 PM
Location166 Totten Pond Rd.
TownWaltham
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age58
SexM
Date12/6/2023, 4:40 PM
Location166 Totten Pond Rd.
TownWaltham
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age36
SexM

NBC Boston reports 54-year old Peter Simon drove into an active roadside work zone which was set up to investigate a possible gas leak and killed 58-year old Paul Tracey, a Waltham police officer, and 36-year old Roderick Jackson, a National Grid employee.

From NBC Boston:

Prosecutors said Simon drove into the work site and veered between a National Grid truck and a backhoe. Between the two vehicles was a trench where National Grid employees were working. Tracey was directing traffic and Jackson was near him when Simon veered his vehicle in their direction, striking them both.

The work site was clearly marked with orange cones, orange signs and yellow flashing lights to alert drivers, prosecutors said.

After striking Tracey and Jackson, Simon crashed into multiple vehicles on scene, including a National Grid truck, at which point he abandoned the Ford F-150 and ran off.

This is the second incident in less than two months (October 12th in Pittsfield) in which someone was struck and killed while doing their job in a well-marked work zone.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Totten Pond Rd is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There are no sidewalks on either side of the street. The speed limit is 45mph.


Date12/13/2023, 9:27 PM
LocationWilbur Ave. + Brayton Point Rd.
TownSomerset
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age55
SexM

1420 WBSM reports that 55-year old Matthew Martinville was struck and killed by the 49-year old driver of a Chevy Silverado on Wilbur Avenue; a preliminary investigation by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to that office and Somerset Police revealed that the driver of the truck was traveling westbound on Wilbur Avenue through the intersection of Brayton Avenue when he struck Martinville in the roadway.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Wilbur Ave is under MassDOT jurisdiction. Brayton Point Rd is under local jurisdiction. Each street is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on one side of each street. There is a sidewalk at each corner of the intersection, though no curb ramps. The speed limit is 35mph on Wilbur Ave, and 30mph on Brayton Point Rd.


Date12/14/2023, 6:09 PM
Location419 Main St.
TownSouthbridge
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age79
SexM

79-year old Prosper R. Gadoury was struck by a driver and then transported to UMass Memorial in Worcester, where he died on December 22nd from his injuries.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Main Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There are sidewalks on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 25mph.


Date12/18/2023, 3:08 AM
LocationAlford St. + Dexter St.
TownCharlestown
TypePEDESTRIAN
AgeUNKNOWN
SexM

NBC Boston reports a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run crash outside in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood [near Encore Boston Harbor]  just after 3 a.m. on Alford and Dexter streets. The drive of the vehicle fled the scene. Investigators believe the driver fled on Alford Street toward Everett before officers arrived.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Alford Street (Rt 99) and Dexter Street are both under local jurisdiction. Dexter Street is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. Alford Street (Rt 99) is a two-way road with two travel lanes in each direction, expanding to six lanes (two lanes toward Boston, four lanes in the direction of Everett) after passing the Dexter/Alford intersection. There are sidewalks on both sides of the street. The speed limit for Alford Street (Rt 99) is 40mph. The speed limit for Dexter Street is unclear, with blank fields in both the MassDOT Road Inventory & the MassGIS-MassDOT Roads layer.


Date12/20/2023, 8:40 AM
Location100 Elliott St.
TownHaverhill
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age80
SexM

An 80-year old resident of Lakeview House in Haverhill died after being struck by a bus near a bus stop by the entrance of the Haverhill campus of Northern Essex Community College.

WHAV reports that he is being remembered as an avid bus rider who traveled almost every day:

MeVa Transit Administrator and CEO Noah S. Berger told WHAV the man was known to the bus driver and passengers. He said, “This is why situations like this are so heartbreaking because, obviously, our hearts go out to the family of the gentleman. Nothing we can do can bring him back. For our operators, that’s always the biggest nightmare. That’s the thing that everyone is terrified of. It’s a devastating thing and awful for the other riders of the bus.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Elliott Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There are no sidewalks on either side of the street. The speed limit is 30mph.


Date12/29/2023, 5:10 PM
LocationSR-140 SOUTH, between EXIT 3 + 4
TownNew Bedford
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age28
SexF

MassLive reports 28-year old Julia Luiz was struck and killed in a multi-vehicle crash on SR-140 after her vehicle broke down in the left lane.

Law enforcement’s preliminary investigation revealed Luiz was driving a Toyota Camry when it apparently became disabled in the left lane. She was outside her car in the roadway when a 63-year-old New Bedford man driving a Toyota RAV4 struck her vehicle, the district attorney’s office detailed.

Moments later, a Toyota Camry driven by a 58-year-old Rochester man also hit Luiz’s disabled car, according to Quinn’s office.

Luiz died as a result of the crash. None of the other drivers were seriously injured, the district attorney’s office said.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, SR-140 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way median divided roadway with two travel lanes in each direction. There are no sidewalks. The speed limit is 65mph.


Date12/30/2023, 7:01 PM
LocationWarren Ave. SOUTH + West Elm St. EAST
TownBrockton
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age75
SexF

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, West Elm Street and Warren Ave are both under local jurisdiction. West Elm St is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. Warren Ave is a one-way road with three travel lanes. There are sidewalks on both sides of the street. The speed limit on West Elm St is 30mph, and the speed limit on Warren Ave 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 | 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 2023

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, November 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.

In our previous post, we took a look at crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in October; six were identified as people walking. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in November 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 November in the MassDOT Crash portal, 6 were identified as people walking. There was at least 2 additional fatal incidents during November.
    • As reported by WCVB: On November 12th, Massachusetts State Police said a tractor-trailer struck an unidentified person shortly before noon on the southbound side of Interstate 95 at Exit 26, where the highway merges with Interstate 93. (Editor’s note: Since this crash is not listed in the crash portal, it is possible that MSP investigators ruled the person died prior to the crash or that it was a suicide, either of which would mean it would not appear in the FARS data.)
    • As reported by NBC10 Boston: On November 29th, North Reading police rushed an 80-year old woman to a hospital after emergency crews freed her from under her Buick Regal in her driveway, but she later died. Investigators believe the car rolled backward and hit her, and they don’t believe foul play was involved. (Editor’s note: Since this incident took place in a driveway and not in a public right of way, it may not appear in the FARS data.)
  • Similar to last month, some of the pedestrian crashes had the ‘speed limit’ field blank in the Road Inventory Viewer. We are now also using the MassGIS-MassDOT Roads layer to check for speed limit information.
  • The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in November was 37.8.

Date11/3/2023, 6:35 AM
Location610 Pleasant St.
TownBrockton
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age18
SexF

There is not much coverage of this crash. A Brockton resident shared that the pedestrian was hit while walking to Brockton High School and was transported to the hospital where she later died from her injuries. The Enterprise reached out to the school for more information:

“Sadly, a grade 11 student died as a result of injuries sustained in an accident that occurred last Friday, November 3,” said Brockton High School‘s Chief Communications Officer Jess Silva-Hodges in a statement to The Enterprise Thursday, Nov. 9.

“Students were informed of available supports this afternoon and our staff are working directly with the student’s friends to provide counseling services for as long as needed,” Silva-Hodges said.

“Several staff members have been in contact and supporting the family since we first learned of the accident last week. We remain in contact and will help them however we can,” she said.

The Brockton PD logs for that day indicate that the pedestrian was hit @ 6:35 am. 610 Pleasant Street is the address for the Walgreens on the south side of the street. Heading north on MA-27 west of Walgreens, there are additional travel lanes. This is the second reported pedestrian fatality in Brockton in 2023.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Pleasant Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There are sidewalks on both sides of the street. The speed limit is 30mph.


Date11/3/2023, 3:32 PM
LocationCentral Berkshire Blvd.
TownPittsfield
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age26
SexM

26-year old Noor Khan Zadran was hit while walking on Central Berkshire Blvd near his job site by the driver of a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. Pedestrian was transported by ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center and then by helicopter to Albany Medical Center, where the pedestrian died from their injuries.

CBS 6 Albany reports:

Police said, Judith Daly, 85, of Pittsfield, MA, was traveling north bound on Central Berkshire Boulevard when she struck a pedestrian. Daly allegedly kept driving after striking the pedestrian and continued to West Housatonic Street, where she proceeded east bound before being involved in a second crash with a 2019 GMC pickup truck driven by David Turner, 58, of Hancock, MA, at the intersection of Lebanon Avenue.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Central Berkshire Blvd is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There are no sidewalks on either side of the street. The speed limit is 45mph.


Date11/17/2023, 5:15 AM
LocationSR-24 NORTH, prior to EXIT 8
TownFall River
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age37
SexF

WCVB reports a truck operated by a 44-year-old Fall River man struck a 37-year old female pedestrian on Rt24 North near exit 8 in Fall River; she was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, SR-24 is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a divided highway with three travel lanes northbound and two travel lanes southbound. There are no sidewalks. The speed limit is unclear, with both 55mph (MassDOT Road Inventory) and 60mph (MassGIS-MassDOT Roads layer) listed.


Date11/25/2023, 10:45 PM
LocationBlue Hill Ave. + American Legion Hwy.
TownBoston
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age62
SexM

MassLive reports 62-year old Angel Maestre was struck and killed when he was hit by 27-year old Yordani Rodriguez who was driving a motorcycle. Yordani was transported to the hospital where he also later passed away. 

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Blue Hill Ave & American Legion Highway are under local jurisdiction. American Legion is a median divided two-way road with two travel lanes in each direction. Blue Hill Ave is a median divided two-way road with three lanes in each direction at intersections. There are sidewalks on both sides of each street. The speed limit is 30mph.


Date11/25/2023, 11:34 PM
Location564 Foundry St.
TownEaston
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age38
SexF

A 38-year old woman was struck and killed on Foundry Street. We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident.

This is less than half a mile from where 84-year old Michael Ginsburg was struck and killed in February 2023, also on Foundry Street.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Foundry Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There no sidewalks. The speed limit is 40mph.


Date11/29/2023, 6:58 PM
Location333 Belmont Ave.
TownSpringfield
TypePEDESTRIAN
Age46
SexM

A 46-year old man was struck and killed on Belmont Ave. We could not find any additional news coverage of this incident.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Belmont Ave is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road with one travel lane in each direction. There are sidewalks on both sides of the street. 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, 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).