Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

Driving is a daily activity for many, but it comes with its own set of risks. While we often don’t give it a second thought, our safety on the road is influenced by a variety of factors — the condition of our vehicle, the behavior of other drivers, weather conditions, and even the time of day. However, when it comes to driving in Massachusetts, certain times are more dangerous than others.

Boston Rush Hour

Traffic Rush Hours

The most dangerous time to drive in Massachusetts is during the early evening, between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., according to a study that analyzes NHTSA data on crashes and fatal accidents. Saturday was found to have more crashes reported than any other day of the week.

When a car accident involves a pedestrian or bike rider, there is often a severe level of injury suffered in the crash.  According to a recent news article from ABC 5 Boston, a 14-year-old boy was seriously injured in car accident in Billerica just north of Boston. The boy was in the crosswalk when hit by a car.

nriv4oeThe driver of the white pickup truck said he was stopped in the road about three car lengths from the crosswalk when he felt like he was rear-ended.  At first he thought it was a car that hit him, and then he saw the young victim bounce off the side of the pickup truck and come to stop in front of his vehicle.  Continue reading

After a fatal bike accident in cities across the United States, including Boston and Cambridge, mourners will typically leave what is know as a “ghost bike” around the area in which the accident occurred.  A ghost bike is a bicycle that is painted all white, and it is placed there so people will not forget that bicycle rider was killed.

push-bike-1198398It is done in part as a memorial for the victim, and in part for all victims, so that public policy can change and new laws can be drafted and passed to provide more protection to the many bicycle riders who are trying to share the streets with cars and pedestrians. While many are okay with the ghost bikes being put on public property, since they are there for an important reason, some are now questioning how long they should be allowed to remain there, according to a recent news feature from Tree Hugger. Continue reading

A recent news article from CBS Boston involves a Massachusetts bicycle accident that occurred between a female cyclists and the driver of a beer delivery truck in Cambridge.

A witness who recorded the aftermath of the crash on his phone stated that the accident occurred when a semi tractor-trailer was attempting to make a right turn off Massachusetts Avenue when it allegedly struck the woman riding her bicycle.

nriv4oeThe bicycle, along with its rider, became stuck between the front two sets of wheels on the truck as she slipped under the side of the large commercial vehicle. Her bike was crushed in the accident.  One witness said that just seeing a bike slide underneath a truck and get crushed as this one did was terrifying and “overwhelming.” Continue reading

According to a recent article form the Salem News, a 50-year-old woman and her friend were riding their bikes in Salem, when she was hit by a horse trailer being towed by a pickup truck. It was at first considered to be a hit-and-run accident, because the driver of the vehicle never stopped to see what happened to the victim, but authorities were not certain the driver knew his trailer had hit a bicycle rider.

nriv4oeThere was, however, no question the victim knew the horse trailer hit her. When first responders arrived, they determined she had suffered life-threatening injuries, and they called for a medevac helicopter to transport her Boston Medical Center’s trauma center. When she arrived at the hospital, she was immediately taken into an emergency room, where they tested her for brain damage and paralysis. She was also treated for her broken collarbone, shoulder, elbow and skull fractures. Victim said she was slipping in and out of consciousness and didn’t really know what was going on, but knew things were not right. Continue reading

According to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, one cyclist is unhappy with what he considers to be Boston’s lack of timely effort in making the streets safer for bicycle riders after a series of deadly accidents.

1367110_bike_route_signAfter reading a book about what is now being called tactical urbanism, this cyclist went to Home Depot and purchased orange road cones and baskets of mums flowers and used them to physically divide the painted bike lane from the vehicle lanes on Massachusetts Avenue near where it intersects with Beacon Street.   Continue reading

There is no question that large commercial trucks are essential to our economy. Moving freight, delivering packages, transporting cars and a variety of other functions in life would certainly be much more difficult without large trucks, including semi tractor-trailers.

truckforwardWhile most truck drivers are safe professionals, there are some who aren’t, and when a truck crashes or collides with another vehicle or pedestrian, it can result in serious personal injury or death. In order to prevent serious personal injury and death involving truck crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) performs a variety of studies and comes up with regulations to make trucks safer. Continue reading

Car accidents involving bicycle riders often result in far more serious cases of personal injury and death than accidents involving only automobiles. The obvious reason for this is that when a pedestrian or a bicycle rider is hit by a car weighing upwards of 2,000 pounds, the person has essentially no protection from the force of the car and other hard objects, such as sidewalks, asphalt, and guardrails.

1253140_bicycleAccording to a recent news article form 7 News Boston, a teen cyclist was killed as a result of a car accident in the Dorchester neighborhood of the City of Boston. Authorities say the teen victim was hit by at least one car while he was riding his bike in Dorchester around 10 p.m. on a Tuesday evening.

Boston Police investigated the deadly bicycle accident and apprehended a 27-year-old suspect who allegedly fled the scene of the deadly car accident. Police have charged defendant with motor vehicle homicide and cited him for other moving violations. The defendant lived in Dorchester, as well.
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In some neighborhoods in the greater Boston area, streets were laid out over the course of many years with very little thought as to how they will all work together to keep motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians safe. There are sharp turns around steep hills, two-way streets too narrow for cars to pass each other and a general lack of traffic signals.

1180083_bicycle_parking_2According to a recent news feature from Huffington Post, the “National Complete Streets Coalition” is looking at what officials in Cambridge, Massachusetts are doing to help create a new model focusing on safe and responsible street design.
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According to a recent report from the Boston Globe, a bicyclist and pedestrian were both killed after being stuck by large commercial trucks in separate accidents. In once accident, a 65-year-old female victim was hit by a large dump truck at around 1:30 p.m. when she rode her bicycle from the parking lot of a grocery store into the street. First responders arrived promptly on the scene, but she had died in the collision.

1253140_bicycleThe driver in a fatal Cambridge truck accident that involved a pedestrian was a 44-year-old man from Medford, Massachusetts who police have not yet identified. He was driving the dump truck as part of his job as a commercial excavation contractor. Police do not believe he was immediately aware had hit the victim but stopped as soon as he became aware and stayed on the scene so Cambridge police could question him. The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office has not made any indications they intend to file any charges and said dump truck driver has been entirely cooperative with investigators.

Victim’s family was in shock following her tragic death and said this was just supposed to be an ordinary day for her. She was running an errand when her life was cut short by the fatal car accident.
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