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Driver slams into woman on Morton Street, killing her, then speeds away
By adamg on Sat, 09/03/2016 - 10:41pm
Updated, 8:55 a.m.
State Police report Johnette Sims, 46, died around 10:30 p.m. when hit by a drunk driver on Morton Street across from the VFW post.
State Police say Anthony Buchanan, 39, of Dorchester, was driving erratically at a high rate of speed towards American Legion Highway when he hit the victim, 46, in a crosswalk, stopped briefly, then drove away, towards American Legion.
Buchanan turned himself in around 1 a.m. to Boston Police at the B-3 station. Police found his blue 2016 Dodge Charger, rented from Enterprise in Dorchester, not long after.
Buchanan is expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury Municipal Court on Tuesday on charges of operating under the influence, leaving the scene of a fatal crash, speeding and marked-lanes violation.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
I will make this one point
And it's not that the driver should have stopped, which is a given.
That part of Morton Street is no place to walk. By that I mean there are no sidewalks. The whole stretch from the lights at Forest Hills Cemetery to I believe Harvard Street are horrible places to even think about walking. I don't know what happened, and unlike other former posters here I refrain from blaming the victim, but the fact that pedestrians are on a roadway that has a 45 MPH speed limit is bad.
Sometimes people HAVE to walk...
... from point A to point B. It's not like there are any nearby alternate routes available to someone who needs to be walking along that street, are there? Perhaps, Boston should not have pedestrian hostile zones along any city streets.
I agree
Most of the times I drive down that stretch (since there's no place to walk) I've wondered why there is no sidewalk. It's the same thing on Seaver Street by Franklin Park. No sidewalk! This is Boston.
Oh, and since the news gave a tragic update to this story, my prayers are with the family.
Victim Blaming
You refrain from blaming the victim but that's exactly what you just did. Congratulations. A woman is dead but apparently should have known better in your estimation.
Nope
I don't know what happened, which I note. I just noted that it is a horrible place to be walking.
All I know is that the driver should have stopped. That is one fact that is crystal clear.
I know you did'nt know what
I know you did'nt know what happened, and I know you think it's a bad place to be walking. But ... you're wrong. I'm not blaming you, I'm just saying you're wrong.
Waquiot
That is a common intersection with a crosswalk and lights. It might be unsafe to walk along Morton St, from the Rotary to Blue Hill Ave, but pedestrians cross at that intersection of the American Legion Highway/Canterbury regularly.
I stand corrected
I did later look at the Google Earth view when someone mentioned the crosswalk.
For those who are quick to blame either car or driver, this would be pretty clear cut. Either the victim jaywalked or the driver blew the light. Suffice to say, when you hit someone, you stop, so I am not holding the driver in high esteem regardless.
I stand by my first thought overall, since walking from the cemetery entrance to Harvard Street entails a lack of sidewalks, this intersection being the exception.
Keep Digging
Came out today the driver was (allegedly) doing 80 mph on Morton Street when he hit this woman in the crosswalk.
Digging, my ass
When my first comment was posted, the victim was still alive to the best of our knowledge.
An asshole driving 80 (in a 45) while drunk and leaving the scene of his accident gets no sympathy for me, but at the end of the day, that stretch of Morton Street is not a safe place to walk, the actual intersection (which I admitted to before) excepted.
I don't know the area
But I can read a map and an image.
We don't know exactly where she was coming or going from Adam's post. She may have been traveling from Canterbury Lane to Canterbury St (or vice versa). If so, there's sidewalks the whole stretch, and a ladder-painted crosswalk.
Sidewalks cut pedestrian crashes in half
Sidewalks cut pedestrian crashes in half, so installing them should be a top priority of Vision Zero.
Especially where there isn't a sidewalk, your best strategy for staying safe is to walk facing traffic, because you never know when there might be a drunk swerving all over the road who doesn't see you and you might need to move out of the way. Not trying to absolve the drunk driver, just give information that could save your life.
Counterpoint about sidewalks
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18217318
Sidewalks
It needs sidewalks. There is room to build sidewalks. Build them.
Sirens in Rozzie/Near Forest Hills
I live in Rozzie off Centre Street by the Arboretum, & there have been a TON of sirens blaring for the past 10-15 minutes. Can't tell where they're coming from/going towards, any idea?
House fire on Walter Street
Some more details.
Glad everyone made it out
Glad everyone made it out safe, thanks for the info!
Suspect Arrested
https://twitter.com/MassStatePolice/status/772374566459039744
According to reports
she was in a crosswalk when she was struck. But what chance does a person have when someone is "driving erratically and speeding"?
None for blind or not looking pedestrians
A blind pedestrian has no chance, no does one not looking. Chances are slim for the pedestrian if a motor vehicle or bicycle has no working headlights. I don't think that was the case here, though.
Headline
Adam, I appreciate your headline. Another reporter would have written, "Woman struck by car," implying that no driver was at fault, hinting at the unlikely possibilities that the vehicle inexplicably went out of control or the woman had placed herself deliberately in front of it. The courts often seem to treat these situations that way, too, as if killing someone with a car was never ultimately the driver's fault, so manslaughter as a result of negligence, inattention, or ignoring traffic laws deserves little punishment. Just some tiny poor decision with a big, unfortunate result.
My heart goes out to the victim's family.
As an abutter to Shea Circle
As an abutter to Shea Circle/Morton/FHC, I agree it is a dangerous freeway and a pedestrian's gamble, but it is a recipe for disaster when a drunk driver is on that route (or any street, for that matter) as well.
Being visible like having smoke alarms
You will want to blame the causes of house fires, but having smoke alarms can save lives when you can't always fix the causes.
Such is the case for staying alive as a pedestrian at night, when most fatalities occur. If you can't fix drunk or distracted drivers, you can improve your chances of staying alive. That includes carrying a flashlight or cell phone with one, and wearing white or beige, or something reflective (even sneakers with reflective parts), especially below the waist where low-beams are pointed.
But sure, argue against having smoke detectors because you shouldn't have to have them and fires are the fault of x, y, or z.
We see reports of fires on UHub all the time
How many times have you seen UHub posters blame a lack of working smoke detectors on those fires? Hint: not nearly as often as we blame the victims of homicidal motor vehicle operation.
Suicidal street crossing, you mean
"Police said surveillance cameras showed her stepping into the path of the truck, and it appeared as though she noticed it too late." - this, another recent fatality.
http://www.wcvb.com/news/pedestrian-hit-killed-in-possible-hit-and-run-i...
Besides not looking before crossing the street, many pedestrians don't look for traffic WHILE crossing the street either, just in case a driver is as unobservant as they are.
So, you blame drivers for not protecting pedestrians from themselves???
Because dressing to be seen and looking both ways is such a burden to save your life, much like replacing smoke detectors every 10 years, changing batteries 2x yearly, and false alarms.
Tough
Yes, drivers are responsible for watching out for pedestrians. Don't like it? Don't get behind the wheel of a two-ton vehicle that can go fast. Especially not when you're drunk.
hmmm
Where have I heard this before?
Condolences to family and friends of the victim.
Call massdot
Call massdot
or email [email protected] and ask when this road (rte 203) will be overhauled.
After the Casey Arborway
After the Casey Arborway project is conplete and the mess cleaned up and the Casey Greenway is landscaped, if we're lucky. That's when. Nothing like living next to pollution freeway.