Car Accidents

September 10, 2012

Second wrong-way driver of the weekend causes another collision

This past Sunday morning, September 9, 2012, at approximately 5:35am, a Roxbury resident was killed in a car accident at the entrance of the O’Neill tunnel in Boston. What makes this incident more unusual than a typical vehicular tragedy is that the deceased man, Idefonos Barros, was driving down the wrong way of Interstate 95, and that this was the second incident of wrong-way driving on a Massachusetts highway just this weekend.

State Police are continuing their investigation as to what caused the three-way collision. Barros was driving a 1999 Dodge Dakota south on 93 North toward the O’Neill tunnel’s entrance when he collided into a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, according to Renee Nadeau Algarin, the deputy press secretary for the Suffolk County’s District Attorney’s office. Algarin also stated that after the initial collision, the Nissan spun out of control and struck the left side barrier. Before the collision occurred, State Police received at least one phone call about a wrong-way driver and immediately launched a search for the vehicle.

Sadly, the police were too late to catch up with Barros. And during the time when reports of the incident were first surfacing, it was unknown whether Barros was ejected from his car because of the crash or if passing drivers helped him out of his vehicle. He was eventually taken to Tufts Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Firefighters removed a 45-year old woman from the Nissan Pathfinder. She was also taken to Tufts Medical Center though her injuries were not a threat to her life. Both drivers appeared to be wearing their seatbelts. There was no indication of drugs or alcohol playing a role in the crash. And the third driver whose Ford Eagle collided with the pile-up was fortunate enough to walk away without any injuries.
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September 8, 2012

Eastbound driver on Westbound lane causes car collision and pile-up

by Altman & Altman

As of late Friday night, reports were appearing on the internet about a head-on collision on the westbound lane of Interstate 90. The crash happened at around 8:30 pm on September 7, 2012, near exit 6 of the turnpike, close to mile marker 54. As authorities responded to the incident, traffic was diverted off the highway at exit 7, near Ludlow, Massachusetts, according to Trooper Kenneth Gaetz.

It had been assumed early on that the cause of the accident was a driver heading east on the westbound lane. Two other cars slammed into the first accident causing a pile up that snarled the weekend traffic. At least two people were taken by ambulance to Bay State Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts and the highway was shut down for roughly three hours. Area police and fire departments, state police crime scene and accident reconstruction units, and the State Department of Highways were all present on the scene. Authorities had gathered, but not yet confirmed, that a 2001 Honda from Connecticut was driving the wrong way down the westbound lane on the turnpike and crashed into a 1993 Subaru registered to an address in West Brookfield.

Tragically, new reports arose this morning saying that both men in the original pile up succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced at the hospital. David Procopio, spokesman for the State Police, asserted that there were other injured but he would not specify. The names of the deceased have been withheld. All that is presently known is that the man who was driving the wrong way down the westbound lane was 84 years old. The driver of the 1993 Subaru was 29. The investigation is now being overseen by Troop E of the Massachusetts State police along with the aforementioned organizations.
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September 5, 2012

Automobile collision begins with fences, ends with pool

by Altman & Altman

Tom Cheffro, a resident of Malden, was watching television on Tuesday afternoon, September 5, 2012, when he heard a loud bang from his backyard. Upon rushing outside, Cheffro yells for his neighbor to call the police as he dives into his in-ground pool, in which a Chevy Impala was sinking. The scene came about so quickly that Cheffro wasn’t sure if the driver realized what was happening.

After trying but finding himself unable to open the door, Cheffro pushed the car’s window down, unbuckled the driver’s seatbelt and pulled him out of the water before he could suffer any serious injuries. Amazingly, the two then sat and joked with each other, wondering how many hits the video on YouTube would receive, as they awaited the paramedics and police.

The pool didn’t sustain any damage. The motorist was conscious and communicative as he was taken to the ambulance on a stretcher by paramedics. He’s presently in the hospital with minor injuries. Cheffro assumed that while backing into his driveway, the motorist, who is reported to be in his eighties, mistakenly stepped on the gas instead of the brake. Amazingly, nobody else had been injured as the car sped through two fences before crashing into the pool. A crane was brought in to remove the automobile.
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September 4, 2012

Hit and run between car and motorcycle leaves Everett man seriously injured

by Altman & Altman

As early as 8:15am this past Sunday morning, September 2, 2012, Melrose police received alerts from civilians and fire fighters alike concerning a collision at a four-way intersection where Green and Franklin Street meet Main Street. At a red light, a sixty-one year old man from Everett on a yellow Harley motorcycle waited for the light to change with a Hyundai sedan idling behind him. When the light turned green, the Hyundai proceeded forward. But the motorcycle hadn’t yet moved.

According to witnesses and resulting police reports, the sedan struck the motorcyclist, knocking him off his vehicle. The car then backed up, rolling over the man and drove forward again, repeating this action several times. Police reports say that the motorist, Eugene Ledonne, 76, of Stoneham then got out of the car while witnesses helped the victim, walked over to the man he had just hit, said “I’m sorry,” and returned to his vehicle. Police say the driver then reversed his car several hundred yards and fled the scene.

Recordings from witness camera phones were credited with helping the police make an expeditious identification of the driver. Although it is presently unclear as to how much of the collision was caught on video. Ledonne informed the police that he was heading to work when travelling on the northbound road. He also explained that after initially striking the motorcyclist he blacked out and wasn’t able to recall anything that happened afterwards. Police however described Ledonne as being physically capable and mentally alert in their report.
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August 28, 2012

Study Suggests High-Risk Driving is Independent of Phone Use

by Altman & Altman

A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found that aggressive drivers are engaging in this risky behavior on the roadways regardless of whether or not they are using their cellphones. The news suggests that a ban on cell phone use while driving will not necessarily make our roads any safer.

The study, which was conducted by a team of MIT researchers, considered the performance of 108 “greater Boston” drivers. According to Bryan Reimer, associate director of MIT’s New England University Transportation Center, “the people who are more willing to frequently engage in cell phone use are higher-risk drivers, independent of the phone.” In addition, he notes that it is a significant-“not subtle”-difference with those “willing to pick up the phone.”

Of the participants, about half admitted to “frequent phone use” while driving, while the rest of the respondents claimed that they rarely used their phones behind the wheel. The study indicates that the overall behavior of the individual plays a bigger role than any specific habit or action. None of the individuals surveyed actually used their phones while they were observed, but those who admitted to frequent phone use “tended to drive faster, change lanes more often and spend more time in the far left lane.” Other behaviors observed in this group include rapid acceleration and slamming on the brakes. https://www.altmanllp.com/car_accidents-1226003.html
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August 27, 2012

Cyclist hit by unknown motorist

by Altman & Altman

Massachusetts bears the distinction of being ranked the United States’ third most “Bicycle Friendly State” for 2012. The Bay State placed 9th in 2011, 16th in 2010, and 19th in 2009. The secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Secretary Richard A. Davey, said that the state’s rising rank over the years accurately reflects the department’s commitment to providing safe and healthy transportation. Massachusetts’ climbing status as a hub for cyclists also substantiates the efforts behind the three-prong policy of the environmental initiative, GreenDOT: 1) Reduce Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) 2) Promote the healthy transportation options of walking, bicycling, and public transit, and 3) Support smart growth development.

Sadly, with all the new bike paths and community efforts to promote cycling, like Boston’s Bike Week, mishaps occasionally still lead to tragedy.

Wellesley police report that on Friday, August 24, 2012, at around 1:58pm, 41 year old cyclist Alexander Motsenigos, husband of nearly ten years and father to a six year old boy, was struck and killed near the intersection of Weston Road and Linden Street, otherwise known as Wellesley Square. Motsenigos was wearing a helmet. And neighbors have said that the point of the collision, an intersection resting at the bottom of a short but steep hill, was a dangerous place.

Lieutenant Maria Cleary confirms that both Motsenigos and the vehicle were headed north. An
investigation is underway because the vehicle sped off, possibly unaware that someone had been struck. The public is being asked to provide any information. But because there were conflicting accounts of the automobile’s make and model, the police are unable to submit a definitive description.

I drive a lot. But I’m currently looking for a good bike in the interest of diversifying my workouts and getting a little more “green.” And I’m well aware of the friction that exists between Continue reading

July 25, 2012

Traffic Fatalities Increase Significantly in First Quarter of 2012

by Altman & Altman

A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that included an early estimate of motor vehicle traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2012 has indicated a sharp increase in this figure compared with last year’s statistics. The projection estimates that 7,630 people died in motor vehicle accidents between January and March of this year. It comes amid reports from automakers that they are intensifying efforts to build cars that are safer and better-able to reduce the threats of distracted driving.

The NHTSA reports that the rise in fatalities translates to a roughly 13.5% increase from the number reported for the first quarter of 2011, which was 6,720. The NHTSA declined to include in the report any mention of contributing factors or implications of the data. However, a spokesman for the agency said, “It’s too soon to speculate…on any increase in deaths on our roadways.”

Perhaps the most puzzling part of this increase is that previous years all demonstrated a downward trend in roadway fatalities. In addition, many transportation safety officials commented that the figure is generally lowest for the first quarter of any given year, which is in large part due to the winter weather that usually accompanies those months. According to officials, the fact that this year’s winter was much warmer than usual, which meant that there were more drivers on the road than in other past years, could be a factor in the increase in fatalities.
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June 27, 2012

State Police Cruisers Struck in Two Separate Incidents

by Altman & Altman

Crashes involving two State Police troopers occurred on two separate roadways in Massachusetts today. Both officers managed to avoid injury in the incidents, which took place on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Newton and on Route 24 in Randolph, according to State Police. So far, only one of the drivers is being charged.

The first crash occurred on Route 24 around 1:20 a.m. after troopers had identified someone driving the wrong way on the highway. When one tried setting up stop sticks across the roadway, his vehicle and several others were struck. In this case, the trooper was uninjured and the occupants of the other cars involved sustained only minor injuries. However, the driver charged with causing the crash was arrested for drunk driving and reckless operation of a motor vehicle and is slated to be arraigned today in Quincy District Court.
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June 18, 2012

Wareham Man Killed in Head-On Collision

by Altman & Altman

Christopher Elicier, a resident of Wareham, Mass., was killed Saturday night after his vehicle was struck head-on by another vehicle traveling in the wrong direction. Elicier was traveling on Interstate 495 in Wareham late Saturday night when another motorist, Phendy Pamphile, 26, of Brockton, driving in the opposite direction collided with him at about 10:20 p.m. According to State Police, Elicier was ejected from his vehicle, a 2012 Hyundai Veloster coupe, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pamphile sustained a serious leg injury and was trapped in his vehicle immediately following the crash. The Jaws of Life were used to remove him and he was transported to Tobey Hospital in Wareham, but he was later moved to Rhode Island Hospital. According to the hospital, Pamphile was listed in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon. Neither of the drivers was wearing a seatbelt.
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June 13, 2012

One Month Later, an Update on Boston University Students Involved in Crash

by Altman & Altman

Just over one month ago, several Boston University students studying in New Zealand were involved in a crash that killed three and injured four others. According to police, Stephen Houseman of Massapequa, N.Y. was driving the group of students in a rented minivan when he drifted to the side of the road and then rolled the van when he tried to correct course.

Houseman’s attorney had requested that he be discharged without conviction due to concerns over the impact it would have on his career, and victims supported a discharge as well, citing the fact that Houseman was sensitive to their losses. However, he ultimately pleaded guilty to all charges, including three counts of careless driving causing death and four of careless driving causing injury.

On May 12, Eastern Standard Time, he was convicted and fully discharged. The judge ruled that he was “law-abiding” but “lost vigilance on the road.” He received no jail time but was ordered to pay court costs and barred from driving in New Zealand for six months, according to a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice.
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