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Here in Boston, we’ve had our share of subway and bus accidents. Apparently, we aren’t the only city with this problem. On Friday afternoon, bus riders in Washington, DC boarded the B2 bus as usual, not knowing that the driver was an imposter. The 19-year-old man donned a standard-issue Metro bus driver’s uniform and drove a bus out of the Bladensburg garage before picking up passengers and crashing the vehicle into a tree and multiple cars.

The bus accident has resulted in an in-depth review of the Metro’s security procedures to determine how an unauthorized person could have driven a bus out of the garage.

Initially, the bus driver fled, but he was later arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and fleeing an accident. He reportedly told investigators that he simply had a fascination with buses.

Source: Metro passengers taken for a ride by impostor bus driver, Washington Post, July 11, 2010 Continue reading

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On Friday evening, a Massachusetts pre-school teacher died after being flung from her boyfriend’s 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle. State police arrived at the scene of the Somerville motorcycle crash around 9:10pm. Both the Braintree woman and her boyfriend were rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital. The 29-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Her boyfriend sustained brain damage, kidney and bladder failure, a fractured hip, and a torn stomach. As of yesterday, he remained in the hospital in “fair” condition. The 37-year-old Somerville man reportedly told his mother he’d had trouble maneuvering around cars and hit a curb.

The cause of this fatal motorcycle accident is being investigated, according to police.

Source: Pre-school teacher killed in motorcycle crash, PatriotLedger.com, July 11, 2010 Continue reading

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Our Massachusetts car crash lawyers have learned that Governor Deval Patrick signed the state’s text messaging ban into law last week. The law takes effect in October and bans text messaging while driving for all Massachusetts motorists and all cell phone use for drivers under 18. In addition, drivers 75 and older will be required to take vision tests and renew their driver’s licenses in person.

Texting will be a primary offense, so police will be allowed to pull over and ticket drivers solely because of text messaging. Violators will be issued a $100 fine, and those under 18 will have their license suspended for 60 days. However, violations will not impact insurance premiums.

Police say the ban could be challenging to enforce, but they plan to speak at high school assemblies this fall to raise awareness about the ban. Massachusetts is the 29th state to enact a text messaging ban. This legislation comes after several fatal car crashes involving texting.

Source: New state law spells it out: No texting while driving, Boston Globe, July 3, 2010 Continue reading

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On Tuesday afternoon, a Melrose bicyclist was killed in a truck accident on Martha’s Vineyard near downtown Vineyard Haven. According to Massachusetts state police, the 40-year-old woman lost control of her bike, falling into the path of an 18-wheeler.

She was riding her bike westbound on the sidewalk along State Road with a group of cyclists. At the same time, a tractor trailer was also traveling west on the same road. She reportedly last control as the truck passed her.

The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene of the traffic accident at roughly 2pm. The road was closed for about three hours during the preliminary investigation. Authorities are still investigating why she lost control of her bike, and no charges have been filed.

Sources: Melrose Bicyclist Dies In Vineyard Truck Accident, Melrose.Patch.com, July 7, 2010
Bicyclist killed on State Road in Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard Times, July 7, 2010 Continue reading

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On Sunday morning, a hit-and-run accident injured a 32-year-old Massachusetts state trooper while he was protecting a fellow officer no Route 128 south. The car accident occurred in Peabody around 2am. The trooper was taken to Union Hospita in Lyn, where he was treated for a leg injury.

The driver fled the scene of the motor vehicle accident and faces charges including leaving the scene of an accident causing bodily injury, negligent driving, and failing to obey the move-over law.

A separate incident killed a 52-year-old sergeant on a construction detail on Interstate 95 in Attleboro. Since troopers are frequently killed or injured on Massachusetts roads and highways, authorities urge drivers to follow the move-over law and to report any damaged gray or silver sedans that may have been involved with Sunday’s hit-and-run.

Source: Trooper struck on highway, Boston Herald, July 5, 2010 Continue reading

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A 29-year-old Framingham driver of a MAZDA3 was arraigned last week. He faces five counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (his car). According to police, the driver swerved in the direction of a grandfather and his grandson after the grandfather told the driver to turn down his music.

The pedestrians weren’t hit, but the grandfather alerted a nearby Massachusetts trooper, who asked the driver to stop. The suspect fled, setting off a high-speed chase down the Massachusetts Turnpike. A state police spokesperson said speeds exceeded 80 mph in some areas.

The driver barreled through several cruisers, hitting at least three. He also injured one trooper, who was later released from a local hospital after being treated for minor injuries. Police are reviewing the pursuit and arrest to check that all rules were followed.

Source: Trooper hurt, driver arrested after Pike pursuit, WHDH.com, June 28, 2010 Continue reading

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In Northampton, several recent car accidents have involved bears crossing the street. On April 30, a bear cub was badly injured by a vehicle on Florence Road, and environmental police had to put the cub down.

Two other auto accidents occurred this week. One accident occurred on Monday afternoon, when a green mini-van hit a small bear. The second motor vehicle accident occurred Tuesday evening when a cub crossed the path of a vehicle traveling west. In both cases, the drivers were not injured, though the second driver’s vehicle suffered over $1,000 in front-end damage.

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research unit at the University of Massachusetts said there are roughly 3,000 bears statewide, and cubs are especially at risk for injury because of their inexperience. He adds that the best way to avoid a car crash involving a bear is to drive more slowly, especially on winding road.

Source: Collisions grow as bears adapt, MassLive.com, July 1, 2010 Continue reading

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Earlier this year, a trolley crash on the Green Line injured several Boston College students riding in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. At the time, the MBTA said it would hold the students responsible for the accident.

However, investigators determined that the trolley driver was speeding and that the Cherokee was trying to make a legal U-turn when it was hit by the trolley. According to the MBTA General Manager, the trolley was approaching 35 mph in a 10 mph zone. The trolley was suspended for 10 days.

No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the MBTA accident, but the students riding in the Cherokee were cited for being in a vehicle with open containers of alcohol.

Source: MBTA says driver in Green Line trolley crash going too fast, Boston Herald, June 25, 2010 Continue reading

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On Wednesday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted almost unanimously to approve a transportation bill that would ban texting while driving for all Bay State drivers and impose stricter licensing requirements on older drivers. If the bill passes, the state would join 28 others and the District of Columbia that have already banned texting while driving.

This legislation comes on the heels of several Massachusetts motor vehicle accidents involving older drivers. The proposed bill would mandate that drivers 75 and older apply in person at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and pass a vision test every five years. It would also prohibit motorists under 18 from using cell phones in any short or form while driving.

Next stop for this traffic bill is the Senate.

Source: Massachusetts House passes bill to ban all drivers from texting while driving, MassLive.com, June 23, 2010 Continue reading

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Earlier this week, a Massachusetts man called state police a few hours after being involved in a serious car accident, saying he thought he was somewhere in Massachusetts. Police tracked his call to Manchester, New Hampshire and discovered his car 70 feet from the road.

When emergency response crews arrived at the scene of the auto accident, they found the car accident victim alert, but they air-lifted him to Boston Medical Center so he could be checked for internal injuries.

They have not determined the cause of the motor vehicle accident, but they are still investigating. Speed and alcohol may have been contributing factors.

Source: Massachusetts Man Crashes In Woods In Manchester, WMUR.com, June 21, 2010 Continue reading

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