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© 2021 The Somerville Times. All rights reserved.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Somerville Chief of Police David Fallon and Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone today announced that Edward Clark, 55, of Norwood, has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing death, in connection with the fatal hit-and-run that occurred on Powder House Boulevard on February 8.
The preliminary investigation suggests at approximately 7:16 p.m. Clark was allegedly operating a 2003 black Ford F150 pick-up truck traveling eastbound on Powder House Boulevard, when he allegedly struck two females, who were in the crosswalk at the intersection of Powder House Boulevard and Hardan Road, before fleeing the scene. Somerville Police subsequently responded and both women were transported to area hospitals. Allison Donovan, 40, of Somerville, was transported to Mount Auburn Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The other victim was treated and released.
Surveillance footage captured at 7:15 p.m. in the area of Curtis and Winthrop St.
Following the crash, investigators worked with community partners to locate several images recorded immediately following the crash believed to be the suspect vehicle in the areas of Powder House Boulevard, Curtis Street and University Avenue that appeared to show a full-size, black pick-up truck with a cover over the bed of the truck. Today, a Tufts University Police Officer located a truck with front-end damage believed to be the suspect vehicle on University Avenue and notified Somerville Police. Investigators located the suspect and registered owner of the vehicle and subsequently placed him under arrest. Clark will be arraigned tomorrow in Somerville District Court.
The investigation into the facts and circumstances is still active and ongoing and additional charges may issue. This matter is being investigated by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Somerville Police. The reconstruction of the crash is being conducted by Somerville Police.
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Thank God ! But Still doesnt excuse a negligent city government. No lights at a school? Shame on them!
Ann, there is a street light and a flashing pedestrian crossing light at the intersection. Also, when school in session there is a crossing guard.
Shame on the driver for not seeing her and leaving after the accident. I hope he gets the punishment he deserves.
But at the risk of sounding like a victim-blamer, the big teachable moment for me as a parent was that for this accident to happen, it also required this pedestrian to knowingly step in front of a (quickly) moving car, assuming the driver would see and stop for her because she was in a crosswalk and had the right of way. She wasn’t elderly or mobility impaired in some way (to my knowledge), which can of course make that difficult or impossible. Cars are piloted by human beings, and as we all know, shit happens. Crosswalk or not, you never ever ever step in front of a moving vehicle unless you’re confident you’re seen and the driver is stopping for you. I know this sort of statement is controversial in the current Age of Righteous Indignation, but being right is cold comfort when you’re dead.
Maybe it would help save more lives, and be far cheaper, if we added signage at crosswalks saying “drivers might not see you – proceed accordingly”.
Pedestrian, you are absolutely right about people looking while they are crossing the street. Everyone has a responsibility to pay attention when they are moving through the city, be it driver, cyclist, or pedestrian.
However, I don’t think signage would help. Look at the bridge in Westwood that trucks kept crashing into, despite the huge number of signs telling them that the bridge was low. People have to be forced to look in some other way, perhaps with speed bumps or changing the curbs, or perhaps a police detail at an intersection.
People walk around with earbuds, looking down at their phones. A driver could simply be distracted by any number of things. Nobody should ever assume the “other person” is going to do what they are supposed to do.
That being said, it is a disgrace that the city never takes the proper action to make an area safer until someone loses their life. I had heard on the news about this story, and that people living there had previously complained about it being unsafe, and that someone else had been killed in that area before.
Why does someone always have to die before anything changes? If there is any concern by residents about an area being dangerous, the city should do something, period.
I live on a street that curves into another street, and people are always swinging around the corner onto my street, usually at a good rate of speed. I always worry that there will be either a head-on collision in front of my house, since only one car can really move in either direction.
I also worry that a child playing on the street could easily get hit when cars come around that same corner. But do you think anything will be done about it? Not unless someone either gets hit or killed. And yes, there is a Stop sign there, which gets ignored much of the time.
Everyone needs to pay attention, and that includes the City. Don’t let someone else pay for not listening when someone complains about an unsafe area.