Tag: MassDOT

Report: Majority of MA Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in 2021 Occurred in Just 12 Communities, Older Adults Disproportionate Victims

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jovanny Rosado
jrosado@denterlein.com
773-490-8469

Report: Majority of MA Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in 2021 Occurred in Just 12 Communities, Older Adults Disproportionate Victims

Results point to proven street design changes that can reduce or even eliminate pedestrian deaths

BOSTON (March 25, 2022) – A report released today by WalkBoston, a Massachusetts pedestrian advocacy organization, provides new insights evaluating where and how fatal pedestrian crashes are happening across the state, and what these patterns tell us about creating safe roads for all. Among other findings, the report shows that over half (40 of 75) of the deaths happened in just 12 municipalities.

The report, Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2021), reviews fatal pedestrian crash data from 2021 released on the MassDOT IMPACT Crash Portal and Fatal Crash Information Dashboard. The locations were then cross-referenced in the MassDOT Road Inventory Tool to determine the road jurisdiction and speed limit. Google Street View was used to find additional local context.

“The data sadly confirm that crashes are happening throughout the Commonwealth, with the same municipalities emerging again and again as higher risk,” said Stacey Beuttell, Executive Director of WalkBoston. “Every life lost is tragic, but the data also gives us confidence that by implementing proven road safety improvements and lowering speed limits, it is absolutely possible to reduce or even eliminate pedestrian deaths in Massachusetts.”

Among the 47 Massachusetts cities and towns that had a fatal pedestrian crash in 2021, more than half happened in Springfield (9), Boston (9), Lowell and Brockton (3/each), and Dedham, Framingham, Lawrence, New Bedford, Oxford, Saugus, Weymouth, Yarmouth (2/each).

35 communities had one fatal crash: Bourne, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brookline, Charlton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fairhaven, Falmouth, Harwich, Leominster, Lynn, Marlborough, Marshfield, Mashpee, Medford, Methuen, Monson, Newburyport, Palmer, Peabody, Provincetown, Quincy, Raynham, Salisbury, Shelburne Falls, Somerville, Sterling, Taunton, Walpole, Waltham, West Springfield, Westfield, and Worcester.

This summary finds that improving road design and safety would particularly benefit the health, safety, and wellbeing of Massachusetts’ growing older adult population. Adults over the age of 65 were disproportionate pedestrian crash victims, making up 36 percent of those killed while representing only 17 percent of the population.

“If we truly want to help older adults age in the community, we need to look at this data as an opportunity to create safer streets not just for older adults but everyone,” said James Fuccione, Senior Director of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative (MHAC). “We are all aging, and we should all want communities that support our ability to be active and engaged throughout our lives. And investing in age-friendly designs that support just that should be the norm – MassDOT’s Complete Streets and Shared Streets and Spaces programs are a great example.”

Over half of Massachusetts’ fatal pedestrian crashes (50.67%) occurred on streets with 30-35 MPH speed limits. Many local roads with 30-35 MPH speed limits are prime for speeding and hostile to people walking or in wheelchairs, yet these are also the places where more people are walking. It reinforces the need for comprehensive speed management to prevent serious injuries and fatalities, moving away from relying solely on the outdated “85th percentile” theory and instead setting target speeds that reflect the way the community has developed. MassDOT just released updated guidance on safe speeds and resources to implement speed management in communities across Massachusetts.

Road safety upgrades can be done quickly and without requiring major capital investment. Recent examples include a traffic circle made out of cones in Arlington – no construction required – that dropped the number of people speeding by 65 percent. In Salem, narrowing a road via new bike lanes encouraged safer driving behaviors and reduced speeding (more than 40 mph) in a school zone by 61 percent.

While fatal crashes for people walking were down in 2020 in MA (bucking a national trend of rising fatal crashes despite fewer people driving that year), it appears in 2021 that fatal pedestrian crashes in Massachusetts returned to a level similar to what we’ve seen every year since 2015. It’s time to reverse this trend. Our state and local leaders must design our streets to be safe for people walking today.

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View the full report

Comments on MassDOT Maffa Way + Mystic Ave Bridge Project (File No. 607670)

March 22, 2022

Carrie E. Lavallee, P.E.,
Acting Chief Engineer

Suite 6340, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116

via e-mail to dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us

Attention: Major Projects, Project File No. 607670

Dear Ms. Lavallee,

I attended the public meeting for the MassDOT Maffa Way / Mystic Ave Bridge Project in Somerville (near Sullivan Square) earlier this month. There were a few questions from the audience and a discussion about vehicle speed which seemed to show a real disconnect between MassDOT’s Safe Speed Management guidance and the way that this project is being designed.

This project is set to be completed in 2027, and will rebuild the bridges / associated roadways. There are a lot of project elements that will help to make the roads and sidewalks safer for biking and walking and improve access to the MBTA station. However, when I brought up the recently released speed guidance that describes target speeds, it was not very well received by the project team. The default speed in both Somerville and Boston is 25mph. This project is using a design speed of 35mph, after doing a speed study and seeing that the 85% speed on the existing roadway was ~32mph. At least three other attendees also commented that the design speed is way too high.

Good points were made that MassDOT should be designing a road for what is needed, and not repeating the design problems that are out there right now which allow people to drive way too fast, especially at off peak times. MassDOT & all MassDOT consultants should be setting the example for the rest of Massachusetts about how projects can incorporate the recently released Safe Speed Management guidance through setting target speeds for a reconstructed roadway rather than relying exclusively on the 85th percentile of the existing road.

Thank you,

Brendan Kearney
Deputy Director, WalkBoston

First snow storm of the season: January 2022

Today, January 7th, marks one of the first significant snow storms of this season with some areas seeing close to a foot of snow.

WalkBoston has been advocating for sidewalk snow removal for many years as part of our work to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility when it snows. Snow and ice present significant challenges to pedestrians. Cleared sidewalks are critical for people to access everyday goods and services, and are particularly vital to people with disabilities and to seniors.

Though snow clearance is a challenging task for municipalities, regional transit authorities, and property owners due to the mix of responsible parties, and the unpredictable and episodic nature of the need – we know and have seen that it is not an impossible feat to clear snow for cars and there is an urgent need to be prioritizing the removal of snow from sidewalks all the same.

We are excited and encouraged by the renewed energy to include sidewalks in snow removal plans by many more communities this winter. We’d love to hear what your community is doing, and highlight it in a future post. Get in touch with us.

Community Spotlight: Somerville

The City of Somerville announced their sidewalk snow removal pilot program for the 2021-2022 winter season (fiscal year 2022). Somerville’s pilot includes the entirety of Broadway Ave. and School St. which represents about 8.5 miles of sidewalk, 200 crosswalks, 350 sidewalk ramps, and 70 bus stops, and the hope is that the pilot will shed light on the costs and the logistics of expanding this service in the future. The pilot will start with the next snow storm so that the City and its new administration can work through logistics of the first snow emergency of the year.

City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, who was involved in legislative advocacy efforts to ensure the City’s budget would include funding for a small sidewalk snow removal pilot, highlights that “the hope with this pilot would be to answer the empirical question of what works the best.” Somerville faces problems with the enforcement of sidewalk snow removal where absentee landlords or developers on vacant lots have likely decided that the cost of a ticket for non-compliance is not a big deal. Coupled with the fact that some property owners (or renters) may be physically unable to remove snow, a walk through Somerville during or after a snow storm can be treacherous for some or keep others confined to their home because it is unsafe. Ewen-Campen is hopeful and encouraged by the renewed focus on sidewalk snow removal by many communities across the state, citing that COVID-19 likely brought the issue to the forefront for many people who were staying home: “Cities learn from each other, this is not impossible and we can decide to do it.”

Funding for Snow Removal Equipment Now Available Through MassDOT’s Shared Streets and Spaces Program

While the creation of a sidewalk snow removal plan is only one small step in actually removing snow from sidewalks in the winter, another obstacle many communities (especially smaller ones) face is that of purchasing equipment. Commercial grade equipment to remove snow from sidewalks can run anywhere between $5,000 to $25,000 or more and amidst a surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, many communities are already stretched thin. However, with the opening of the next grant round of the MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Program, there is hope for communities for whom a capital purchase of equipment has been holding them back from creating a sidewalk snow removal program.

MassDOT will be adding an ‘equipment’ category to the program — which will operate separately from the other categories and will not exclude a municipality from receiving another award — for up to $50,000 to allow for the purchase of equipment (such as sidewalk snow plows) that will assist municipalities in aligning their mobility efforts with the goals of the program. The next round of applications for the program opens on January 10th.

Of course, Somerville is just one of 351 municipalities in the state and a handful of others have had sidewalks included in their snow removal plans for some time. In Newton, City Councilor Andreae Downs wrote about the steps it took to establish a snow clearing ordinance. In Framingham, the City is responsible for plowing approximately 84.5 miles of sidewalk in and around key areas such as schools, city-owned buildings, the commuter rail, and business districts. As WalkBoston continues our advocacy work around sidewalk snow removal and hopes to put together sidewalk snow clearance guidance and resources for communities, we’d love to hear more from communities across the Commonwealth that have seen success in their sidewalk snow removal plans and highlight it in a future post. Get in touch with us.

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.

Date	11/3/2021, 12:28 PM
Location	632 State St.
Town	Springfield
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	40
Sex	M

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.

Date	11/5/2021, 11:30 AM
Location	Washington St. + Downing Rd.
Town	Brookline
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	63
Sex	F

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.

Date	11/9/2021, 7:15 AM
Location	I-495 NORTH + SR-138
Town	Raynham
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	57
Sex	M

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.

Date	11/9/2021, 5:11 PM
Location	1367 Main St.
Town	Brockton
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	73
Sex	F

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.

Date	11/10/2021, 6:14 PM
Location	235 State St.
Town	Springfield
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	56
Sex	F

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).

Date	11/22/2021, approx 5:47 PM
Location	Route 28 near junction of Orchard Road and Asher’s Path
Town	Mashpee
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	91
Sex	F

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.

Date	11/23/2021, 6:44 PM
Location	Lynnway + Newhall St.
Town	Lynn
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	76
Sex	M

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.

Date	11/30/2021, 7:47 AM
Location	172 Winslow Gray Rd. NORTH
Town	Yarmouth
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	85
Sex	M

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.

Date	11/30/2021, 12:54 PM
Location	North Main St. + Wright St.
Town	Palmer
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	74
Sex	M

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).

Statewide Fatal Crashes In MA, October 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 five fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in September. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in October 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 28 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in October in the MassDOT Crash portal, seven were identified as people walking.
The crash portal does not include names. The name of two of the people walking who died have not been made public yet.
The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in October was 65.
At least one of the crashes were hit & runs (as referenced in news articles).
The name of the person driving was only identified in one of the crashes in news articles that we found.
We could not find any news reports for one of the fatal crashes.

Date	10/4/2021, 9:45 AM
Location	66 Huttleston Ave.
Town	Fairhaven
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	77
Sex	F

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

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this street is under MassDOT jurisdiction. This stretch of Huttleston Avenue (State Route 6) is two-way, with 2 travel lanes in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of the road. The speed limit is unclear in the MassDOT Road Inventory, with 25mph and 35mph both listed.

Date	10/13/2021, 1:30 PM
Location	Essex St. + Winter St.
Town	Lawrence
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	73
Sex	F

The Eagle-Tribune reports that a driver struck and killed 73-year-old Antoquia M. Ruiz Villlona De Anziani in the area of Essex Street & Winter Street in Lawrence. The driver was not identified.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, both of these streets are under local jurisdiction. Each road is two-way, with 1 travel lanes in each direction. It is a 2-way stop, with stop signs for the Winter/Medford Street approach (Winter Street becomes Medford St as it crosses Essex). There is a sidewalk on each side of each road. There is no painted crosswalk over Essex Street. The speed limit is unclear in the MassDOT Road Inventory, and not obvious on Google Street View.

Date	10/14/2021, 6:44 PM
Location	North Main St. + Huntington St.
Town	Brockton
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	54
Sex	M

The Enterprise News reports that Joao Fernandes, age 54, died after the driver of a Mel’s ice cream truck struck him at the intersection of North Main Street and Huntington Street. The driver was not identified.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, North Main Street and Huntington Street are both under local jurisdiction. Each road is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a stop sign on Huntington Street as it meets North Main Street. There is a sidewalk on each side of each road. There is a crosswalk across Huntington Street, but no painted crosswalk over North Main Street. The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date	10/16/2021, 10:26 AM
Location	Theodore Glynn Way
Town	Boston
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	59
Sex	F

Lisa Vadeboncoeur was killed and two other people were injured after 46-year-old Kevin McCaffrey struck them on Theodore Glynn Way in Boston. WHDH reported that he has been charged with motor vehicle homicide by operating under the influence of drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Their coverage included a statement from Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins:

“Ms. Vadeboncoeur and the two other individuals injured in this crash were standing well off the side of the road when they were struck,” Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. “My office has been in contact with each of the victims and the loved ones of Ms. Vadeboncoeur. We will continue to be available to provide them and the two surviving victims with the support and resources they may need and that they deserve.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Theodore Glynn Way is under local jurisdiction. It is a one-way road that is 64-feet wide; there is parking on the left side. Street View from November 2020 does not show any lane markings. There is a sidewalk on one side of the road and a shoulder on the other side. The speed limit is not noted in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date	10/21/2021, 1:55 PM
Location	704 North Quincy St.
Town	Brockton
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	79
Sex	M

A 79-year-old man was struck and killed by a driver on North Quincy Street in Brockton. Neither the driver nor the pedestrian were identified.

The Enterprise News observed that this was the second fatal crash in a week in Brockton.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, North Quincy Street is under local jurisdiction. The road is two-way, with 1 travel lane in each direction. There is a sidewalk on each side of the road, but there is a large curb cut on one side shared by the Brookfield Plaza and a used car dealer. (The Enterprise News story includes photos of police investigators examining this side of the road/driveways.) The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

Date	10/26/2021, 6:23 AM
Location	Walk Hill St.
Town	Boston (Mattapan)
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	47
Sex	F

A bus driver hit and killed Jennifer Formichelli and then left the scene at the corner of Walk Hill Street and Blue Hill Avenue. CBS Boston reported that Formichelli was walking her two dogs at the time. Neighbors said one stayed by her side, and the other ran home, alerting neighbors. The Boston Globe reported that bus and driver was not affiliated with Boston Public School system, but the police have located the driver and school bus, and homicide detectives are investigating. The driver was not identified.

CBS Boston also interviewed Fillmore Parris, who was engaged to Jennifer:

He said Formichelli was an English teacher, loved her pets and her family. “She was just an all-around good person.”
“I’m sad but I’m just getting increasingly angry,” Parris said. “I don’t care if you’re driving a tank, you know if you’ve hit somebody, especially somebody that is as visible as her, running with two dogs.”

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Walk Hill Street is under local jurisdiction. It is a two-way road that is 40-feet wide; there is parking and sidewalks on each side, and there is a crosswalk across Walk Hill Street. The speed limit is 30mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory. There is a traffic signal at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Walk Hill Street.

Date	10/27/2021, 7:38 PM
Location	528 Southwest Cutoff
Town	Worcester
Type	PEDESTRIAN
Age	66
Sex	M

66-year old Fabio D’Assis was hit and killed by the driver of a Toyota Highlander SUV. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette cited a police spokesperson that “the initial investigation indicates the driver approached the Auburn/Worcester line and saw the pedestrian, but was unable to stop in time.” The driver was not identified, but is described as a 42-year-old Sudbury woman.

The T&G story locates the crash near 557 Southwest Cutoff, while the MassDOT Crash Portal lists 528 Southwest Cutoff. 557 Southwest Cutoff is closest to the Auburn/Worcester line referenced in the article, so the Google Streetview included below reflects that section of road. There is a grocery store plaza on one side, with housing on the other side of the road.

According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Southwest Cutoff is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is a two-way road that is 48-feet wide, with 2-lanes in each direction; there are sidewalks on each side. The speed limit is 35mph in the MassDOT Road Inventory.

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).