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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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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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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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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

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Four separate motorcycle accidents in the Boston area Monday left one dead and four others injured. The fatality, which occurred in Jamaica Plain at 9:36 a.m., was the result of a motorcycle crashing into an MBTA van. The individual, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. According to David Estrada, a spokesman for the Boston Police Department, the van’s driver was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries.

Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for the MBTA, said that the van was not carrying passengers and was stopped at the time of the collision. It reportedly was on duty as part of The Ride, which is a transportation service for disabled residents. The official cause of the motorcyclist’s death has not yet been determined.

Police have reported that the three other accidents occurred in Brookline, Chelsea and Westwood. The Brookline crash involved a Boston police officer who was injured after he lost control trying to avoid a small animal. His injuries were not believed to be life threatening. In another accident, a 58-year-old man from Peabody was driving northbound on Route 1 when he struck a minivan. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after the accident, which had occurred at 4:35 p.m. The passengers of the minivan were uninjured.
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The MBTA has reported a fatality involving a motorcycle crash which occurred this morning in Roxbury. The accident, which is still under investigation by the Boston police, occurred when a RIDE van was stopped at the corner of Park Lane and Walnut Avenue. The motorcyclist apparently collided with the van at about 9:40 a.m., according to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo.

The individual was later pronounced dead after being rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Fortunately, the van was not carrying any passengers at the time of the collision and the driver was uninjured. No further information is available at the moment.

One person killed when motorcycle collides with RIDE van in Roxbury, MBTA says, The Boston Globe, August 20, 2012

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In a board meeting Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board revealed the results of a 13-month investigation into a deadly bus accident involving a driver who fell asleep on the job. On May 31, 2011, a motor coach operated by Sky Express Inc., which had 59 people on board, veered off a highway near Richmond, Virginia, around 5 a.m. It was reported that the bus hit a barrier, rotated and then overturned. Four died and 49 others were injured.

According to safety officials, although the driver had minor injuries, he refused medical treatment. The safety board determined that the accident was caused in part by his inability to maintain control of the bus due to “acute sleep loss.” However, it also found the bus company and the government partially responsible, citing “the failure of Sky Express Inc. management to follow adequate safety practices and to exercise safety oversight of the driver.” Alcohol, drugs, cell phone use, weather, mechanical defects, speed and highway design were ruled out as factors.

The board’s chairman, Deborah A.P. Hersman, described the crash as “entirely preventable” and said it “never should have happened.” In examining the driver’s work schedule, sleep times and cell phone use, it was found that his opportunity for sleep in the 72 hours before the crash was “limited.” It also cited the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s lack of sufficient oversight of the bus company, saying it “allowed the company to continue operations despite known safety issues.”
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Route 24, a busy roadway which sees more than 100,000 cars per day, has raised a great deal of concern recently due to a string of serious or fatal accidents. As a result, State police outlined a plan Friday to increase patrols on the roadway. The hope was that an increased police presence will improve driver safety and decrease the likelihood of future accidents.

Recent statistics show that the rate of car accidents on Route 24 has not only increased in the past year but also spiked noticeably in the last month alone. Since January 2011, there were 16 accidents requiring a construction team and 11 involving fatalities. In the last month, there were two fatal accidents resulting in three deaths-one of which was a 12-year-old girl. These figures prompted officials and the public to take notice.

A motorist who travels on Route 24 and was interviewed by a reporter from WHDH, said, “I’m not surprised, I’m really not. I see the way people drive on this highway. It’s scary, it’s really scary.” Col. Timothy Alben of the State police also indicated that the roadway was notorious for dangerous driving, especially at night. “It’s a whole different world out here after midnight,” he said.

State police said Friday that they would increase patrols on weekends during the hours of 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., according to Col. Alben. The patrols would be present not only on Route 24 but also Interstate 495. Reportedly, there would be 11 extra patrols each night. This increase in police presence was predicted to cost about $125,000 and will remain until the end of the summer.
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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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Both directions of Route 128 in Woburn were shut down late Monday night due to the rollover of a gasoline tanker. According to State police, the crash occurred in the southbound lanes of 128. According to an officer, the driver of the vehicle was attempting to pull of the roadway near Washington Street at Exit 36.

Jane Lindsay, 53, of Dorchester, reportedly pulled in front of the tanker as she was nearing the exit and was struck. This crash then led the truck to swerve and roll over. Lindsay was taken to Winchester Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the tanker, 50-year-old Michael Cormier, was also taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
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