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. Last month, we took a look at the 7 fatal crashes listed in the MassDOT Crash Portal in March. In this post, we’ll look at crashes in MA in April 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 38 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in April in the MassDOT Crash portal, 6 were identified as people walking.
• The crash portal does not include names. The names of 4 of the people walking who died have not been made public yet.
• The average age of pedestrians hit & killed in April was 45. (One person’s age is listed as “unknown.”)
• At least 4 of the crashes were hit & runs (as referenced in news articles).
• The name of the person driving was not identified in any of the crashes in news articles that we found.

Update 11/15/2022:

On April 26th, Denise Stracqualursi, an employee of Roche Bros – Acton, was killed in the parking lot when she was bringing groceries out to an awaiting customer. Read the story in MassLive: Denise Stracqualursi, 56-year-old woman struck by car in Acton grocery store parking lot, has died, authorities said – masslive.com

72-year-old Marshall Mac was hit on McGrath Highway at Blakeley Avenue at 8:40PM while on his way home from the grocery store by a driver who fled the scene in East Somerville. Marshall died on April 29th from his injuries. The driver, age 64, later turned himself in and faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash that caused personal injury. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, McGrath Highway is under MassDOT jurisdiction. There is no crosswalk at Blakeley Avenue (you can see a person standing on the island. It is a desire line to connect Foss Park and the neighborhoods to the north to the closest grocery store, Stop and Shop. It also would allow residents to avoid walking near the dangerous Rt 28/38 interchange with 93. 200 people rallied on May 26th to pressure MassDOT to accelerate fixes to the surrounding area, including sound barriers and pedestrian safety improvements that have been long called for through multiple Road Safety Audits.

“These tragedies were 100% avoidable,” says @AyannaPressley. “We have to keep the pressure up [on @MassDOT].” #somerville pic.twitter.com/6HAFAiVCqS

— WalkMassachusetts (@WalkMass) May 26, 2021

The Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets encourages you to sign a petition to MassDOT, as three of their neighbors have died on McGrath Highway and Mystic Avenue in the last two years, and attend an upcoming virtual public hearing on June 8th at 6pm to press for changes as part of a recently announced I-93 rehab project (Zoom link).

Thomas Gill, age 42, was hit and killed on Route 93 in Braintree; NBC Boston reported that the driver or drivers that struck him did not stop. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, I-93 is under MassDOT jurisdiction.

A 63-year-old man was hit and killed by a driver on Merrimack Street at Cabot Street in Lowell. The Lowell Sun reported that the person was flown to a Boston-area trauma center with serious injuries. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, this intersection is under local jurisdiction. The speed limit is 30 mph.

A 29-year old man crossed the median into a northbound lane while driving, exited his car to inspect a flat tire in the breakdown lane, and was hit and killed by two drivers on I-190 in Sterling. WWLP reported that the first driver fled the scene, while the second person, a 37-year old, stopped after the crash; State Police were still seeking the driver that left the scene.

The Enterprise reported that a 39-year-old Charlestown woman was hit and seriously injured by a driver in an SUV on Centre Street in Brockton. The 44-year-old driver stayed at the scene. According to the MassDOT Road Inventory, Centre Street (Rt 123) is under MassDOT jurisdiction. It is one lane in each direction, with a 35 mph speed limit. There is a plaza on one side of the street and a school on the other.

In New Bedford, South Coast Today reported that a 19 year old person was ejected from a vehicle in a crash on the ramp for Rt 140; the person was then hit by another driver who fled the scene. FARS determined that this is categorized as a pedestrian crash since the person was outside of a vehicle when struck.

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 2021 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: 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021

Reminder about the data from the MassDOT portal

DISCLAIMER:  The compilation of data is based on preliminary data we receive from a variety of local sources.  Some of the data may differ slightly from information provided by NHTSA as this dashboard does not use imputation methods.  Information is subject to change when/if updated information becomes available. Data updated daily as reported by police departments.