Articles Posted in Car Accidents

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In Mattapan, Massachusetts, an SUV carrying an off-duty Boston police officer crashed into a Boston fire truck that was on its way to respond to a car accident. The fire truck, Engine 29, reportedly had sirens and lights on but according to witnesses, it went straight through a red light without slowing down. After colliding with the SUV, it crashed into a light pole. The accident occurred on Harvard Street at a very busy intersection.

The police officer who was in the SUV has sustained a serious leg injury from the accident. He was scheduled for a leg operation on Wednesday. The victim’s sister, Allyson Vinson Bowore, said that her brother, Darrell Vinson, has been with the Boston Police Department for twenty years. She said he was off-duty and headed to work when “The light turned green and he went and that’s when he got hit by the fire truck.”

The accident is under investigation by State police and no charges have been filed yet. Investigators are hoping that the traffic camera has captured this accident. Massachusetts state law requires that all emergency vehicles must stop at intersections for a red light even with their sirens and lights on. Officials have confirmed that the driver of Engine 29 has had drug and alcohol tests in the aftermath of the accident.

If you have been involved in an accident, contact on of our experienced Boston car accident attorneys for a free consultation.

Source:

SUV hits Boston fire truck in Mattapan, 7-News / whdh.com, April 6, 2011 Continue reading

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A fatal accident in Dorchester is under investigation in which a 39-year-old mother was killed. The other passenger in the car was the sister of the deceased. Police report that the accident was caused by another driver who fled the scene. The sister informed authorities that they slammed into a tree after they were hit by another car who was trying to pass them. The hit and run accident occurred at the corner of Washington Street and School Street, at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

In the event of an accident in Massachusetts, drivers are required by law to stop at the scene of the accident and exchange information with the other driver. If the accident occurred on someone’s property, then the driver is also required to exchange information with the owner of the property that was damaged. It is illegal for a driver to flee the scene of an accident. The minimum punishment for fleeing the scene of an accident resulting in death is 2 and a half years of imprisonment and a fine of no no less than $1,000.

Boston Police are searching for a small to medium-sized black car that was seen within the vicinity of the accident.

If you are the victim of a hit and run accident, contact on of our experienced Boston hit and run accident attorneys for a free consultation.

Source:

Mother of 3 killed in hit and run, FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com, April 4, 2011 Continue reading

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A teenager from Ipswich faces charges for breaking the Massachusetts junior drivers’ license law by driving after midnight. Drivers under the age of 18 are not allowed to drive between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. After speeding and crashing his car in Gloucester around 1:30 a.m. on Friday morning, 17-year-old Alden Burnham told police that he had slid on snow and into a rock. Police have reported that when they arrived at the scene, there were approximately 40 feet of skid marks on about 4 inches of snow on the unplowed road. Burnham was not injured in this accident.

Such charges are very common amongst young drivers. In an effort to minimize teen accidents and teen driving fatalities, the state has adopted and implemented rules for junior drivers. Because car accidents are the most prominent killer of teens in the nation and young drivers are four times more likely to be killed and 14 times more likely to be injured than any other age group, the state has recently revised and toughened its junior driving law. Drivers under the age of 18 in Massachusetts can now expect to face multiple charges or license restrictions if they violate any of the following state laws:

• Not allowed to carry passengers for first 6 months (other than parents)
• Time Restriction Violation, 12:30 a.m. – 5 a.m.
• Operating to Endanger/Recklessly or Negligent • Drag-Racing not permitted • Speeding not permitte • Conviction for the use of a mobile electronic device (text or phone)
• Negligent operation and injury from mobile phone use
The first-offense charges for violating the time restriction is a 60-day license suspension and a $100 reinstatement fee.

If you or your loved one has been involved in a car accident, contact on of our experienced Massachusetts Car Accident Lawyers for a free consultation.

Sources:

Ipswich teen charged in Gloucester accident, The Salem News, April 2, 2011
Junior Operator License, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, mass.gov Continue reading

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Earlier this week, a man responsible for a 2007 fatal car accident in Somerville was sentenced to 15 to 20 years in state prison, after which he has a 15-year probation on the condition that he is not allowed to operate a vehicle or does not try to reinstate his driver’s license. According to the Office of Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone, Javier Morales, 29, from Somerville, pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, driving with a suspended license, subsequent offense, and failure to stop for a police officer.

Morales caused the accident in May 2007 by failing to pull over for State Police on Route 16, who then proceeded to pursue him through Somerville. It is reported that he was driving 76 mph without his headlights on at about 1:30 a.m. before he crashed his SUV into a taxi. The driver of the taxi was Walid Chahine, 45, of Methuen, and the passengers were Paul Farris, 23, of Medford and a woman who has remained unidentified. Both Chahine and Farris died from their injuries incurred in this accident and the woman was extensively hospitalized. She is said to still be affected by her injuries from the accident. All passengers in the taxi were wearing their seatbelts but the force and speed at which Morales was traveling caused an impact that the seatbelts could not withhold.

In a statement released by District Attorney Gerard Leone, he explained that “This defendant pleaded guilty to causing a horrific car crash that resulted in the death of two innocent men and left a third victim with life-long injuries…This defendant had numerous opportunities to stop for the police officer, yet continued to make decisions to drive unsafely at high rates of speed through densely-populated areas, endangering those around him. By pleading guilty today, this defendant is admitting to these troubling charges and will remain off the roads and out of communities for an extensive period of time.”

If you or your loved one has been injured in an accident because of a negligent driver, our experienced Massachusetts car accident lawyers are here to help with over 25 years of experience and a free consultation.

Source:

Driver In Somerville Motor Vehicle Crash Pleads Guilty To Two Counts of Manslaughter, Office of Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone Press Release, March 28, 2011 Continue reading

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Late on Sunday night, a single car crashed inside the Sumner Tunnel in Boston, resulting in the death of an unidentified man. Around 10 p.m., State Police responded to the scene of the fatal accident, which shut down the Storrow Drive ramp. Authorities confirmed that the car, identified as a white pick-up truck, was heading towards Storrow Drive when it crashed into the side of the tunnel.

Although the cause of the accident has not yet been determined, witnesses reported that the driver was speeding. Roman Wunderlich, a witness who was first passed by the truck and the only other vehicle in the tunnel at the time of the accident, said, “He didn’t stop, he didn’t brake, nothing…no screeching tires, there was nothing, he just went right into the wall…I’d say he was probably going about 100 miles an hour.” A second witness arrived at the scene of the accident and pulled up next to Wunderlich who warned him of the deadly accident up ahead. The second witness asked him if it was a white pick-up truck as he had just seen him speed through the toll booth just minutes before. The driver has not been identified yet and authorities have not found a driver’s license at the scene of the accident.

The Storrow Drive ramp inside the Sumner Tunnel has been the site of other fatal accidents in the past. In November 2009, a woman died and two were seriously injured in an accident and another crash in February 2008 killed a man and injured three more.

If you or your loved one has been injured in a car accident, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced Boston car fatality lawyers for a free consultation.

Sources:

Crash in Boston’s Sumner Tunnel kills 1 person, Boston Herald, March 28, 2011
One dead after crash in Sumner Tunnel, Boston Globe, March 27, 2011

1 dies in crash in Sumner Tunnel, 7-News, whdh.com, March 28, 2011 Continue reading

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In Sandisfield, Southern Berkshire County, a woman driving an SUV has been severely injured after her vehicle flipped over in a single-car accident. Massachusetts State Police have reported that Jazmine Solero, 33, of New York, was driving four passengers on Route 8 in an Isuzu Rodeo. Because of ice and snow, Solero lost control and veered off of the road into an embankment. Her vehicle then crashed into a telephone pole and flipped over. Solero was trapped inside until the emergency crew pulled her from the wreck. All four passengers, two in their twenties and two teenagers, are reported to have potentially serious injuries but the extent of which is unknown. Police have confirmed that Solero was not speeding when the accident occurred.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rates the Isuzu Rodeo with an average of three out five stars for rollover safety on models made between 1990 and 2010. They also explain that rollover accidents have a higher fatality rate than other types of crashes and are most likely to happen on rural roads as almost 75% of all rollover accidents occur on rural roads. As a precaution for drivers, the NHTSA provides these safety tips on how to prevent a rollover accident:

• Use extra caution on rural roads and highways, especially on undivided two-way roads. Soft shoulders or embankments can increase chances of flipping.
• Avoid panicked or quick steering; quickly overcorrecting steering at high speeds can result in loss of control and rolling over.
• Maintain tires with the correct amount of air. This will help the driver to control the vehicle and prevent a vehicle from sliding on wet or icy pavement.
• Know your vehicle’s weight limit. Find your car’s suggested weight limit in your car’s owner manual to ensure that the vehicle load does not exceed the suggested safe load.

If you or your loved one has been injured in an accident, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced Massachusetts Car Accident Lawyers for advice and a free consultation.

Sources:

Five injured in Sandisfield SUV crash, 22News, wwlp.com, March 22, 2011
5-Star Safety Ratings, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Continue reading

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Two and a half years after a fatal accident on Mt. Hope Bridge, Jamie Pretti of Plymouth has been charged with one count of driving under the influence resulting in death and to leaving the scene of the accident resulting in death. On September 12, 2008, Jamie Pretti was driving with his friend, Timothy Macleod, of Plymouth, from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to Roger Williams University for a party. Pretty is reported to have lost control of his vehicle when he tried to pass another vehicle on the Mt. Hope Bridge, resulting in the death of Macleod. The Office of the Attorney General said that a breath test confirmed that Pretti’s blood alcohol was more than twice the legal limit.

Since the accident, Pretti has been out on $100,000 surety bail but is now in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Pretti pleaded no contest to his sentence of 15 years, with seven to serve, three and a half of which will be held at Adult Correctional Institutions and three and a half years on home confinement. He also lost his license for five years and has been ordered to pay $5,000 in fines.

Drinking and consumption of alcohol on or around campuses affect almost all college campuses. College Drinking Prevention reports that approximately 3,360,000 college students drive under the influence of alcohol in one year. The National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a part of the National Institutes of Health, has recently conducted research projects in which colleges and their surrounding communities attempt to reduce excessive alcohol consumption by targeting local drinking settings and implementing prevention strategies in an attempt to minimize college-related alcohol abuse and drunk driving.

If you or your loved one has been injured in a car accident, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced Massachusetts car accident lawyers for a free consultation.

Massachusetts Man Sentenced in Connection with Fatal Crash on Mt. Hope Bridge, Bristol-Warren Patch, March 14, 2011
NIH-Supported Study finds Strategies to Reduce College Drinking, National Institutes of Health, November 11, 2010 Continue reading

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In an effort to make Massachusetts drunk driving laws easier to understand and apply, State Senator Katherine Clark has called for legislation that would make the laws more comprehensible. In Massachusetts, impaired driving laws have been amended 69 times and continue to become more confusing and repeated in many places. For example, when the legislation was changed in 2005 for repeat drunk driving, not only did it adopt the new name, “Melanie’s Law,” in memory of 13-year old Melanie Powell who was killed by a repeat drunk driver, but the change added eight new sections and seven new categories of amendments to the law that was already ambiguous. As a result, the law can be construed and interpreted in many different ways.

In an article written by State Senator Clark in today’s Boston Globe, Clark writes that: “…judges, prosecutors and defense counsel struggle to apply the law. Most experts agree that the content of the law is solid, but the language needs to be re-worked to ensure protections against drunk drivers.” She continues to say, “In an effort to reorganize the Commonwealth’s OUI laws, I have filed An Act to Protect the Citizens of the Commonwealth from Drunk Drivers.” She argues that this call to clarify the law will not change the substance, criminal sentences, or penalties, but will rather make it easier to understand and use in order to protect citizens from drunk drivers.

There are approximately 13,000 Massachusetts drivers who are convicted of drinking and driving each year. In 2008 alone, there were 363 traffic fatalities due to drunk driving in Massachusetts. State Senator Clark asserts that this legislation will improve the drunk driving law to “protect the citizens of the Commonwealth.”

If you have been injured in an accident, please feel free to contact one of our experienced lawyers for a free consultation.

Source:

Clark calls for clarifying drunk driving laws, The Boston Globe, March 16, 2011 Continue reading

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An investigation is underway to determine if the cause of a head-on crash with a Framingham state trooper is due to a car race. Just after 1 a.m. on March 9th, State Trooper Edward Treseler was hit head-on by Alejandro Ramos, 27, of Framingham, who had crossed over the double yellow line on Route 30 in Framingham. Treseler was taken to Framingham Union Hospital and has been released. Ramos, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was taken by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital with severe head injuries. Driving next to Ramos’ vehicle, in the other traffic lane, was Falcaneri P. Fuentes, 31, and his passenger, Yenci Pineda, 19, also both from Framingham. Fuentes and Pineda were not injured. Police report that both vehicles were going twice the speed limit, at least 70 mph in a clearly marked 35 mph area. Neither driver has been charged yet but they will be summoned for recklessly operating a vehicle, speeding, violating a marked lane, and driving without a license.

According to State Police, Treseler was at least the 11th trooper involved in a serious accident in the past 15 months that has been attributed to civilian reckless driving, speeding, or impaired driving. This year alone, three troopers have been involved in serious car accidents. Rick Brown, President of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, says that these crashes are due to fewer troopers on the road: “We’re down almost 500 troopers, so when drivers see us every 20 or 30 miles instead of every five or 10 miles, they tend to drive faster…We haven’t had a new class in almost five years…It’s a public safety issue, and it’s something that will also protect us more.” According to David Procopio, from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the last class of troopers graduated in 2006, at which point there were 2,600 troopers and now there are less than 2,100.

If you have been involved in a car accident and would like a free consultation, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced car accident lawyers.

Source:

Trooper OK after cruiser is hit head-on, Boston Globe, March 10, 2011 Continue reading

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In Lynnfield, Massachusetts, a fender-bender turned into a fatal accident. After a taxi rear-ended a Chevrolet Cobalt, both of the drivers pulled over and exited their vehicles to inspect the damage. William Halpin III, 25, from Melrose, who was under the influence of drugs in a passing vehicle, hit both the taxi driver and the parked Cobalt. The taxi driver, from Lynn, died after he was taken to the hospital. Police arrested Halpin for vehicular homicide and for driving under the influence. The other injured victim was a six-year-old boy who was sitting in the Cobalt when it was struck by Halpin.

When pulled over on the side of the road, it is very important to assess the situation of passing vehicles. Although the driver in this case was under the influence, one must always look carefully for oncoming traffic. Remember to turn on your hazard lights and carry the necessary roadside accident supplies in your trunk, such as a reflective hazard indicator to put on the street and a reflective florescent vest.

In the event of a collision, Sheila Varnado, of the Driving School Association of the
Americas, suggests the following:

• Make sure that you are out of harm’s way. Once you are outside of your vehicle, you are at risk of being hit by oncoming traffic.
• If you are disoriented or injured, stay in the car.
• First check yourself for injuries, then check others.
• Only provide medical assistance that you are capable of and trained in. Vernado says: “Anytime you’re involved in a collision, only render aid within your ability.”
• Call 911. You are required to call the police or highway patrol if anyone is injured. Dial 911, or program the highway-patrol number into your cell-phone.
• Write down the other driver’s name, address, date of birth, phone number, car make and model, and license plate number. Varnado says, “Get the full information of all drivers, passengers, and witnesses…This includes driver’s license numbers, vehicle registration and proof of insurance with policy number.”
• For legal and insurance purposes, take pictures using a cell-phone or disposable camera. That way, Varnado says, you can “see how the intersection looked, the weather conditions, icy roads, exactly how much damage was done to the cars, the position of the vehicles, where the vehicles ended up, and the severity of the collision for example.”
• Inform your insurance company.

If you have been injured in an accident and would like a free consultation, feel free to contact one of our attorneys who have over 25 years of experience representing car accident victims.

Sources:

Car accident in Lynnfield, Mass. claims one life, NECN, March 5, 2011
What to do if you get into an accident, The Boston Globe Continue reading

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