Cyclist Struck And Killed At Beacon and Charlesgate

(via)

Apparently she was struck by a dump truck.

This afternoon, MIT visiting scientist Dr. Kanako Miura, 36, died in a bicycle accident in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Miura was a native of Japan and had been at MIT since the fall of 2012. Within MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Miura worked in the laboratory of Russ Tedrake, an associate professor of computer science and engineering. (via)

At about 3:34pm, on Sunday, May 19, 2013, officers from District D-4 (South End) responded to an accident involving a motor vehicle and a female bicyclist. On arrival, officers located a female victim suffering from what appeared to be life threatening injuries. As a result of injuries suffered in the accident, the bicyclist, a female in her early twenties, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Detectives – assigned to the Boston Police Department’s Accident Reconstruction Team – are currently investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this accident. At present, the cause of the accident is still under investigation and no violations have been issued at this time. (via)

On Sunday afternoon at about 3:30, a 20-year-old woman was either riding her bicycle or walking beside it when she was struck by a truck, police said. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. There was a mangled bike found about a mile from the crash scene on Bay State Road. “It’s really a bad intersection, ” one resident said, describing the corner of Beacon Street and Charlesgate West, where the crash occurred. There is a bike lane on Beacon Street, but police said the woman was hit by a truck that did not stop. Investigators are trying to identify the driver of the truck involved in the incident. “People just don’t care anymore,” another resident said. “They are in such a hurry; they don’t care who they hit at all.” Police pulled over two trucks after the crash but they would not confirm whether either vehicle was involved in the incident. “It’s very scary; I live right next-door. I hope they honor the victim by making the road safer,” a resident said. As of Sunday night, police had not made any arrest or issued any violations.(via)

our hearts go out to her family and friends, more information when I get it. Of all the cyclist fatalities in the last two years, nearly all of them have been caused by large trucks. Perhaps its time the city does something about this.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Globe Highlights Failure Of Justice In Wellesely Fatal Hit And Run

The globe had a front page article today about the lack of an indictment for Dana McCoomb, the truck driver who killed cyclist Alex Motsenigos last year.

It’s a common refrain among local ­cyclists: Want to kill someone and get away with it? Run them over while they’re on a bicycle.

Within Boston’s growing cycling community, a perceived lack of criminal prosecution of motorists involved in fatal bike crashes has been a regular source of outrage in recent years. That ire came to a ­fever pitch last week, when a grand jury investigation of a Wellesley bike crash with seemingly copious evidence — video footage, witnesses defending the deceased bicyclist, a truck driver who had fled the scene and had an extensive history of driving infractions — came back with no charges.

The grand jury’s decision, bicyclists contend, is evidence of a wider problem: Most people do not respect the rights of bike riders.

“The message that we got from this particular case,” said David Watson, executive director of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, “is that, clearly, members of the general public still don’t care enough about bicyclists’ safety.”

(VIA)

As if to prove the entire point of the article, the comment section is a wasteland…depressing.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

MassBike Responds To Failure Of Grand Jury To Indict

VIA MassBike’s Website:

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Police Identify Man Killed In Allston

From The BPD Website:

The victim has been identified as 21 year old Chung-Wei Yang.

The facts and circumstances surrounding the accident are as follows:

On November 12, 2012 at 6:36pm officers from D-14 (Brighton) responded to a motor vehicle accident involving a bicyclist at Brighton Avenue and Harvard Avenues.

Upon arrival officers found a seriously injured male victim. EMS transported the 21 year old victim to Beth Israel Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Update: Preliminary investigation suggests an MBTA bus did come in contact with the victim. There is no indication that the driver or any of the passengers on the bus knew anyone was struck. At this time, no charges have been filed

The Boston Police Department is continuing to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is asked to call Homicide Detectives (617) 343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to remain anonymous.

I am going to wait until more information comes out before I pass judgement, but I am very suspicious. I can only hope that these incidents of cyclists being killed by large vehicles leads to some serious change in the way things are done in this town. The killing must stop.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Woman Killed In South Boston Identified As Tanya Connolly

From the Herald:

A woman in her mid-30s riding a bicycle home yesterday with a friend was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer in South Boston, police said.

Tanya Connolly of South Boston immigrated from Ireland 14 years ago, friends and family said. She had lived and worked in the city ever since.

“She was full of life,” said her distraught brother, Carl Connolly, who spoke briefly after he walked out of the police station on West Broadway, where witnesses were being interviewed. “She was the glue that held her friends together. She’s definitely going to be missed”

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Female Cyclist Killed In South Boston

(picture via)

“It appears the TT was turning left from A St on West Broadway when the accident occurred ”

More here.

Another in a series of horrific and tragic events…more information when I get it. I hate posting these things, we must do better at protecting cyclists. My thoughts go out to her friends and family.

————–

(via)

Boston Police Investigate Fatal Pedestrian Accident in the area of W. Broadway & A Streets in South Boston

At about 3:50pm, on Monday, September 17, 2012, officers from District C-6 (South Boston) responded to an accident involving a bicyclist and a tractor trailer truck in the area of W. Broadway & A Streets. On arrival, officers located a female victim suffering from what appeared to be life threatening injuries. The victim, who had been riding a bicycle, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The operator of the vehicle remained on the scene and did make his identity known to responding officers.

The Boston Police Department is actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. No citations have been issued at this time.

More news here (warning graphic description of crash)

Update more video here

They reveal that it was a woman in her 30′s. Tragically young. (note they mention this website, it pains me greatly that this is the sort of event that draws reporters here, and not the hundreds of happy events that occur all year long. Be safe out there everyone).

more video here:

WHDH-TV –

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Male Cyclist Killed In Dorchester This Morning

In sad news a man was killed on his bicycle this morning, the herald reports.

State police say a 63-year-old man riding his bicycle along Morrissey Boulevard has been struck and killed by a vehicle.

Authorities say the victim was on the outbound side of the road at about 12:30 a.m. Friday when he was struck by a pickup truck.

The bicyclist was thrown from his bicycle and suffered severe injuries and was declared dead at the scene.

The pickup trucks driver, a 47-year-old man, called 911 for assistance and stayed at the scene. He was eventually taken to Boston Medical Center with minor injuries.

No names were immediately released.

The crash remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.

A sad day. My thoughts go out to his friends and family. More info when I get it. As always feel free to post details in the comments.

UPDATE:

The driver has been charged with drunk driving via DotNews:

Michael Ahern, 46, of Dorchester, is scheduled for arraignment today on charges he ran over and killed a man riding his bicycle down Morrissey Boulevard early Friday, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office reports.

Doan Bui, 63, was pronounced dead at the scene following the 12:30 a.m. crash near Malibu Beach.

According to DA Dan Conley’s office, Ahern was arrested at his Adams Corner home on Sunday after a State Police investigation. Ahern called 911 from the scene of the Morrissey Boulevard crash and remained there until police and EMTs arrived. Ahern was also transported to Boston Medical Center and released shortly thereafter.

Prosecutors will formally charge Ahern with motor vehicle homicide, operating under the influence of alcohol, operating to endanger and speeding.

Ahern is a well-known building contractor who — along with his wife— recently opened a new restaurant, The Sweet Life, in Lower Mills. Ahern has also been a key partner in another popular Lower Mills eatery, The Ledge.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Female Cyclist Killed By MBTA Bus On Huntington Ave

EDIT: The name of the cyclist has been released it was Kelsey Rennebohm, who died late Friday. She was a Seattle native who was enrolled in the counseling psychology master’s degree program at Boston College. (via)

More here

A female cyclist was killed when struck by an MBTA bus Friday night. This is not the first time someone has been killed at this location…its about damn time something is done to make this stretch of road safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

From CBS:

A woman cyclist was killed in a crash involving an MBTA bus Friday night in Boston.

MBTA Police say the accident happened on Huntington Avenue outbound at Forsyth Street.

Investigators say several vehicles were in close proximity to the accident site when it happened and it was not immediately clear which one had collided with the cyclist.

After a thorough investigation, police say they found evidence that the MBTA bus had made contact with the victim.

The bus operator has been questioned. No charges have been filed. The investigation is ongoing.

The victim’s name has not yet been released, but police said she was in her twenties.

With no breakdown lane or bike lane on much of Huntington Avenue, the stretch of road is notoriously dangerous for cycling.

From WCVB:

A woman who was riding her bike was struck and killed by an MBTA bus Friday evening, transit officials said.

The bicyclist, in her 20s, was killed while riding on Huntington Avenue near Northeastern University around 10:30 p.m.

The woman, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Huntington Avenue at Forsyth Street.

“The bus operator has been questioned as part of this ongoing police investigation,” said spokesman Joe Pesaturo.

He said details of the accident remain undetermined and forensic experts are investigating.

A police spokesman said no citations have been issued and the investigation into what caused the accident is ongoing.

EDIT: update from The Globe

Officials are investigating the involvement of an MBTA bus in an accident that left a woman dead after she fell from her bicycle into traffic Friday night, police said.

“An MBTA bus was involved in the accident,” said Officer James Kenneally, a Boston police spokesman.

The victim was in her late 20s, Kenneally said. He said no charges have been issued at this time.

The accident occurred around 10:25 p.m. on the outbound side of Huntington Avenue at its intersection with Forsyth Street, said Joe Pesaturo, an MBTA spokesman, in an email Saturday.

“The preliminary investigation is focused on an MBTA Route 39 bus that was in the area of the accident at the time the 911 call was received,” Pesaturo said.

Police questioned the driver of the bus, he said.

“Like others, he was interviewed by police,” Pesaturo said.

The accident occurred near the Northeastern University campus, but the victim had no relation to the university, said Renata Nyul, a spokeswoman for the school.

Boston police could not say whether the victim was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

Pesaturo would not comment on whether the bus driver was aware of any involvement in the accident.

“Investigators are working to establish facts,” he said.

The intersection where the accident occurred was blocked off by police tape Friday night leaving a stretch of Huntington Avenue closed.

The incident is under investigation by transit and city police.

EDIT: The Mayor has made a comment (via)

“That’s the third accident we’ve had where somebody has lost their life and I’ve asked the transportation department to take a look at that roadway to see what we can do to make it safer for cyclists and automobiles,” said Boston Mayor Tom Menino.

I am glad that at least there is the appearance of action, it will be up to all of us to make sure they follow through with this.

EDIT: The BCU is reporting she may have fallen into the street, I agree with them that bike lanes + reduced speed would go a long way to making this road better.

Eyewitnesses to the crash told the police that Rennebohm appeared to have lost her balance and fallen off her bike from the sidewalk and into the path of a Route 39 MBTA bus, according to Boston Police Department sources familiar with the investigation.

This new information puts a different spin on events for many cyclists who may have assumed that Rennebohm’s injuries were received while riding her bike in the street. At the same time, it doesn’t mean that the instincts of those who are demanding bike lanes on Huntington Avenue are wrong. In fact, the way the accident happened highlights a secondary benefit that bike lanes have for pedestrians—-that of creating a buffer space between moving traffic and people on the sidewalk. It may also, as details unfold, speak to the need to reduce speeds on the street.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet