Cambridge Day reports a Middlesex Superior Court jury today found the driver of a dump truck who hit and killed Jie Zhao, 27, at Magazine and Putnam streets last year, after a trial in which the driver's driver suggested the MIT graduate was to blame for her death because she may have been listening to music and so unable to hear the truck's back-up beeping.
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And it's not clear she even was listening
By mg
Thu, 11/21/2019 - 10:54pm
Note that the lawyer (I assume that's what Adam meant to write) said she "may" have been listening. If there were proof, I'm sure that "may" would have been omitted.
She also crossed against the light
By Pete Nice
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 8:10am
which is illegal, but backing up in an intersection like this is also probably legally illegal.
Wow!
By mplo
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 11:07pm
If, indeed, the victim did cross against the light, that's not only illegal, but beyond stupid, and irresponsible. I'm not exonerating the driver of the truck, but if the victim really did cross against the light, she also helped put herself in danger.
Do we really if she was
By cinnamngrl
Sat, 11/23/2019 - 8:27am
Do we really know if she was crossing against the light when the video was disabled. Is it your fear of death that causes you to say so many heartless things about dead people?
Oh, come off of it, will you!?
By mplo
Sun, 11/24/2019 - 10:27pm
Crossing against a light does help put people in danger, at least in part because not everybody is responsible enough to slow down and protect pedestrians against their own stupidity.
Backup cameras
By WalkingTheDog
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 7:12am
Maybe it's time that trucks be required to have backup cameras just like passenger vehicles.
Are you suggesting that these
By MrWhite
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 7:27am
Are you suggesting that these companies...retrofit the trucks to make them safer in urban environments? The job losses that would cause would be staggering! How could you suggest such a thing. Go away.
Ridiculous.
By Lee
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 9:50am
I know someone who just retrofitted her car with an inexpensive kit. Took her 20 min to install.
This truck had a backup camera
By cinnamngrl
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 10:52am
But it was not working at the time.
Backup cameras cause other problems
By merlinmurph
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 3:00pm
Backup cameras can be really helpful, but I find people end up with tunnel vision, totally relying on the camera. Yes, use the camera, but also look to your sides to see if anybody is approaching. People get zeroed into the screen and don't look around.
This is great SAFETY news for Centre St drivers in West Roxbury
By Angry Dan
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 7:48am
This would make a fine SAFETY TIP for promotion by Steve Morris and his fellow MOTORIST SAFETY experts at the West Roxbury Speedway Association. To remain SAFE from prosecution, honk your horn prior to blowing through crosswalks. This SAFELY ANNOUNCES YOUR INTENTIONS and makes it clear that you are NOT stopping for crossing pedestrians.
Stay SAFE out there!
Huh?
By Terrapin
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 2:35pm
Is this English?
Cambridge Day reports a Middlesex Superior Court jury today found the driver of a dump truck who hit and killed Jie Zhao, 27, at Magazine and Putnam streets last year, after a trial in which the driver's driver suggested the MIT graduate was to blame for her death because she may have been listening to music and so unable to hear the truck's back-up beeping.
The jury found the driver at Magazine and Putnam and the driver's driver made a suggestion?
Looks like Adam was kicking a few back last night...
the driver
By Luke Warmer
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 8:30am
of the truck, (and sole proprietorship or company that owns it) are responsible to operate it without killing pedestrians. you have a flagger get out into traffic and back up the driver of the truck with semaphores. there are a multitude of types of individuals who would have been killed in this situation, either because deaf, elderly, or from a culture or state more used to a greater share of intepersonal humanity.
Wow
By Rob O
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 8:43am
Given the Boston area's track record on cases involving motorists killing non-motorists, I am simply shocked that the driver got off without penalty. What an outlier!
This verdict is outrageous.
By Lee
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 9:58am
With all the other noises going on in traffic, it’s not always clear where those back up beeps are coming from.
The driver should have made sure the area was clear before backing up.
This sends a message to all drivers that killing people with your vehicle is okay.
"asking the detail officer "
By anon
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 10:53am
So what exactly was this "detail officer" doing or not doing? For the amount an inattentive police officer makes one can get 2-3 flag men to be posted strategically around the job site, thanks for being useless Boston police/staties
Detail officers are either on
By anon
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 3:31pm
Detail officers are either on their phones, talking to another detail officer or talking to the construction crew. Very rarely are they actually watching out for pedestrians.
Walked against the light
By Anon
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 12:42pm
Walking against the light puts at least 50% of the blame on her. Maybe more. I'd say 100% except the broken back-up cam and reversing into intersection.
If the light says "Don't Walk", then don't walk.
Pedestrians in every other city seem to understand how to cross a street and share the road. In Boston for some reason, Pedestrians ignore the signs.
And yes, I'm a pedestrian also.
Vastly more pedestrians are...
By Lee
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 1:51pm
... struck by drivers while crossing a street in a crosswalk with the walk light than in any other part of the street.
There simply is no excuse for killing someone with your vehicle. Stop trying to victim blame.
Nope, sorry
By Anon
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 2:31pm
"Don't Walk" means, don't walk. It's really simple.
Most of the time, drivers who kill pedestrians are at fault, but
By mplo
Sun, 11/24/2019 - 10:29pm
when a pedestrian is stupid and irresponsible enough to dart out in front of a car whose driver is driving either at or below the posted speed limit, that does put part of the responsibility on the part of the pedestrian.
Years ago, while driving to school and looking for a parking space, I was going 15 mph on an ordinary city street. A young woman darted out into the street, right in front of my car. I hit the brake pedal just in the nick of time, heard an awful thud, and for one sickening moment, thought I'd hit her. There she was on the other side of the street, safe, unharmed, and accounted for.
A few minutes later, when I entered the school, I encountered the same young woman in the lobby of the school. Our conversation, although brief, went like this:
Me: Hey! Do you know that I almost hit you?
Young woman who darted across the street, right in front of my car: (turning all colors from embarrassment): I know, and you can tell everybody that I'm that stupid girl who darted right in front of your car to cross the street, at the last minute.
She did apologize, however, realizing that she'd also put herself in danger by darting out into the street, right in front of my car, at the last minute.
“Don’t walk, for no reason.”
By Bob Leponge
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 9:03pm
Of the closest dozen or so intersections to my house, I’d say that ten or so of them have a substantial portion of the cycle during which no cars are allowed to proceed across the crosswalk and yet the pedestrian signal says “don’t walk”. For example, a one way side street tees into a main street; the sign says “no turn on red”; the light controlling the side street is red, and yet the pedestrian signal crossing the side street says “don’t walk.” I have tried reporting via 311 and have been brushed off with “case closed; signal working.”
The city should stop training us to ignore the “don’t walk” signals.
Unfortunately, however,
By mplo
Sun, 11/24/2019 - 10:39pm
Pedestrians, at least here in Boston, are often just as stupid as a lot of drivers, if not stupider. It's the drivers' obligation to protect pedestrians from their own stupidity, but pedestrians are also obligated to take a certain amount of responsibility by not violating the "DON'T WALK" signs, and, if they're out riding or walking at night, to wear, or at least carry something light-colored that will enable them to be seen.
Complex sentence...
By anon
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 1:50pm
Found the driver innocent? Guilty? I see the headline (acquitted), but looks like the end of the sentence is missing. Just saying.
Pedestrian hunting season is
By jwalker
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 3:54pm
Pedestrian hunting season is open... Fill your gas guzzlers and mow them down. Remember driving on the sidewalk is A.O.K in Boston.
Pro-tip: the pedestrian was
By anon
Sat, 11/23/2019 - 5:27am
Pro-tip: the pedestrian was killed in Cambridge. Cambridge is a shit-show for pedestrians and has gotten much worse with the supposed road improvements.
Huh. Do they make non gas
By Anon
Sat, 11/23/2019 - 10:42am
Huh. Do they make non gas guzzling dump trucks yet? Was your street built with Priuses? (Prii?). Was someone trying to mow anyone down? Please try to stay on topic.
What or who is a "driver's
By Driver sibling
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 4:39pm
What or who is a "driver's driver"?
Drive like someone else's life depends on it
By Lecil
Fri, 11/22/2019 - 5:48pm
From the article:
"...another dump truck driver who was traveling behind Desroche to the same repaving job on Pearl Street, was watching the intersection at Desroche’s request and radioed him to stop when he saw Zhao in the roadway, but the weight and type of brakes on Desroche’s truck lengthened the time it took to bring it to a halt."
Meaning that he was driving to fast for the circumstances. He was backing up, through an intersection, and despite the fact that he had a spotter he couldn't stop in time. With a busted back-up camera. Sure sounds like negligence to me.
First and Foremost obey the Laws of Physics
By Nowy Liberté
Sat, 11/23/2019 - 9:14am
Sorry -- there are human created laws and then there are the laws of nature
Break the former and then throw yourself at the mercy of a Judge or Jury and you might be absolved. Break the latter [e.g. Newton's Laws of Motion] and your fervent wishes and prayers may not be able to help you.
A key corollary of the Laws of Physics -- soft, relatively light things made of a combination of fragile and low tensile strength [easily tearable] materials -- need to look out for our own safety -- don't trust others' behavior to protect us.
As someone has posted to use the War Fighters expression -- "Have Situational Awareness at all times"
Ear Buds and Smart Phones with high res displays are the major impediments to Situational Awareness. Note the latest gen of ear buds with noise cancellation are very good at suppressing background sounds such as horns and yells from your fellow pedestrians.
In other words -- Don't Cross an Intersection with your ear-buds on and your head down -- the consequences can be not just unpleasant -- they can be FATAL*1
*1 Full Disclosure -- a couple of years ago I was driving quite slowly while leaving the UNH Campus when I encountered a couple of UNH students nearly randomly wandering across a fairly major street [and not even at an intersection] with their heads down staring at their phones and wearing ear buds. When I honked to give them the proverbial "Heads-Up" -- neither of them even looked up from what they were doing. I waited patiently until there was a wide gap in the student parade and then proceeded away from the campus area ASAP.
you got it backwards
By anon
Sun, 11/24/2019 - 3:00pm
If you want the privilege of operating a large, dangerous vehicle that can easily kill people and animals, it is your responsibility to have even greater situational awareness.
Its on you not to kill people.
Driving is not a universal right.
Well,
By mplo
Sun, 11/24/2019 - 10:43pm
This:
is true, but pedestrians also have an obligation to display some common sense, not cross against a light, and to also protect themselves from from their own stupidity, by acting smarter than they often do and obeying the DON'T WALK sign..
pedestrians don't kill people
By cinnamngrl
Mon, 11/25/2019 - 9:45am
pedestrians don't kill people. By law walking is an entitlement. please think about your heartless comments, a person died.
she didn't dart in front of the dump truck, it backed over her without looking. backing up in an intersection is illegal and negligent. Why are you holding this dead women to higher standard of safety than the driver?
Try a Maritime example
By Nowy Liberté
Tue, 11/26/2019 - 7:17pm
You are in a small sea kayak in Boston outer harbor -- the pedestrian
The USS John F. Kennedy CVN - 79 -- the newest aircraft carrier in the US Fleet is visiting Boston shortly after its commissioning*1
You are in the designated small boat area to watch the majestic entrance of the carrier into Boston Harbor -- but your view is limited by larger small boats [you are essentially in the water] -- so you take caution to the wind and move into the front rank [just across the line established by the US Coast Guard]
On comes the JFK all 100,000 tons majestically moving -- you are so entranced by the spectacle that you move further into the path of the ship -- divers later find pieces of you and your kayak which had been chewed-up by the Kennedy's massive props
Should the JFK have run over you -- NO! -- of course not!
Should you have been aware that things the size of aircraft carriers:
YES -- Absolutely!
PS: it works for trucks and people, even cars and people, trucks and cars, trucks and bicycles, etc.
Moral of the story -- You need to be aware that big heavy things may squash you like a proverbial bug -- you might have been in the right -- but you are still DEAD!
*1
from the Wikipedia USS JFK
from Kennedy Christening Ceremony
https://thefordclass.com/cvn79/christening.html
Cambridge drivers are far
By anon
Sat, 11/23/2019 - 7:52pm
Cambridge drivers are far worse than Boston drivers. Stay safe out there fellow pedestrians and cyclists!
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