Brian and Patty MacKinnon will attest to the infamous perils of the length of road on South River Street that bends around a cranberry bog. Vehicular accidents have been occurring there frequently enough now to no longer surprise the Marshfield residents. Over the past three winters, the MacKinnons have lost three fences to cars sliding off the pavement and into their front yard.
And now the family two doors down from the MacKinnons, the Thayers, have their own tale of motor mayhem to share. Clifton and Dorothy Thayer, along with their son, Jonathan, were displaced from their home on an early Saturday, September 8, 2012, at around 2:47am. They were awakened to the roar of a young man and his car smashing into the left side of the house at the corner next to the roadway. The collision caused so much structural damage to the home, built in 1725, that officials declared it uninhabitable. Fire Captain Louis Cipullo described the destruction of the house as extensive and, by Sunday, the front of the residence was being held up by braces. Thankfully, the Thayers were asleep upstairs at the time of the accident, so none of them was injured.
The American Red Cross provided the Thayers with housing and emergency funds. Neighbors have said that they have been staying in Brockton and Weymouth, amongst other locations. When the MacKinnons were stirred by the crash they immediately called 911. Brian MacKinnon described the noise as a “thunderclap” and impossible to ignore. The driver sustained minor injuries but was up and on his feet though visibly upset over the incident.
The police declared the house unsafe for living because water was pouring out of it and challenging the electrical system. Town officials soon arrived on the scene to deactivate the electricity. Patty MacKinnon said that Cliff Thayer intimated to her that he had been living in the house for forty-two years and had “just been waiting for something like this to happen.” What also exacerbates the effect of the overwhelming damage is that when people are guilty of driving too swiftly down South River Street, their car usually ends up in the cranberry bog. Brian MacKinnon assumed that the car slid in front of his driveway, hit a large rock, careened into the Thayer residence, spun around, and landed on the ground facing in the opposite direction.
Presently, there is no new information in regards to when the Thayers will be able to move back into their home. Also, it is unknown what, if any, new steps will be taken to frustrate the onslaught of motor collisions on the bend around the cranberry bog on South River Street. Fortunately though, at least nobody was seriously injured this time. Unfortunately, the perils of the bend took away more than just a fence. If you, or anyone you may know, have any questions, concerns, or desire for counsel in regards to a driving incident, please don’t hesitate to contact Altman and Altman at your earliest convenience. And, as always, stay safe.
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