Bicyclist struck and killed outside Boston Medical Center

Speed bumps don't belong on any public road. If you can't safely get over one driving at a sensible speed for the road (i.e. the speed limit or a little under), then it's nothing but a road hazard.

you’ve perfectly described

By yhghy
Fri, 04/24/2020 - 3:23pm

you’ve perfectly described what a speed bump is. A structure that you can get across safely while driving a reasonable speed.

And even if you can get

By anon
Sat, 04/25/2020 - 3:41pm

And even if *you* can get over one at a reasonable speed in your car or SUV, that doesn't mean they're ok for everyone else, like someone in a low-ground-clearance wheelchair van.

Close the roads?

By Will LaTulippe
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 11:48am

Are cars supposed to drive on the sidewalk? How would they fit?

How will Fitzy and Karen get

By Kinopio
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 1:06pm

How will Fitzy and Karen get their coffee if they can’t drive their SUVs everywhere? Make it themselves?!1!

Three Stereotypes In Two Sentences!

By John Costello
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 1:11pm

You're chauvinism for having nothing but pedal power is wearing thin.

Truck

By Phlllbbtt!
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 6:54pm

I think the tractor trailer was the least damaged in this crash, given the interest by investigating officers.
SUV? No.

With no explanations proposed yet, I’d gather inattention on one or both parties involved or a right turning truck and an unseen, trapped, poorly positioned cyclist.

BUT I HAVE ONLY CONJECTURE TO OFFER.

R.I.P. John Forester. He knew to advise cyclists not to be next to trucks at intersections.

The idea is that if you make the road just wide enough for cars to fit through, they have to go very slowly in order to properly "thread the needle" so to speak. And frankly semi trucks shouldn't be driving through that intersection at all. They should be taking the interstate highway around downtown unless they have somewhere to go in the middle of the city. I guarantee you this driver was just taking the shortest northbound route and/or avoiding the central artery tunnel because he was carrying hazardous materials.

design for the smallest and you leave out the outliers

By anon
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 6:43pm

If the road is just wide enough for a car, an ambulance wouldn't fit. Nor an MBTA bus.

Nor would a delivery truck bringing masks to the hospital. Even a small truck. Though 18-wheelers have been mentioned in several mask delivery stories.

No win situation

By Robert Baker
Mon, 06/08/2020 - 8:19pm

He was taking electric transformers to the electric company. He wasn't joyriding thru the tight Boston downtown streets for fun. I feel for the family of the victim. It's so scary to drive a big truck thru there it's not even worth any amount of money to worry you might hit and kill a pedestrian or cyclists. They truth is that the truck driver can be doing everything in their power to watch out and watch the roads, the cars and maintain an eighty thousand pound machine and watch for pedestrians and cyclist zooming around them but still accidents happen. I'm sure his conscience is torn over killing someone and he still might go to prison just for trying to do his job. No one ever see that side of it.

The fact that a truck driver

By eherot
Tue, 06/09/2020 - 2:29pm

The fact that a truck driver can be doing "everything in their power" to avoid hitting bicyclists and pedestrians (which suggests not speeding even though MANY truck drivers speed through that intersection) and STILL HIT THEM is proof that there is no safe way to have big trucks driving through there at all and so they should be banned (just as they are banned from the Central Artery Tunnel).

Hard to do that right here

By Ron Newman
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 12:28pm

since a hospital is at this location.

Imagine if we treated the 35

By Kinopio
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 1:09pm

Imagine if we treated the 35,000 Americans killed by drivers every year as seriously as we are treating this virus. Instead a drivers license is effectively a license to kill.

Dude...

By lbb
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 1:19pm

...you've already posted your "blame all the drivers" comment in this thread, and it's understandable, because a cyclist was killed. But you're being a real asshole. Like, a complete, stay-up-at-night-thinking-of-new-ways-to-do-it asshole.

Can you explain how this is an asshole statement?

By SuperChingon
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 2:46pm

I don't see it. Seems true and not overtly aggressive to me

It's a long-running feud on this site

By Michael
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 3:01pm

Kinopio gets mad when a driver kills a person and get away with it.

Everyone else gets mad at Kinopio.

It's more than that though.

By Pete Nice
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 3:08pm

Adam could post a photo of the make way for ducklings group, wearing cute hats and scarves, and Kinopio would come back with something like:

THESE DUCKS COULD WOULD BE SAFER IF THESE CARS AND THEIR MURDERERS WHO DRIVE THEM WEREN'T AROUND!!!

Huh, I missed that

By Michael
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 3:09pm

I'm gonna go back and check the last couple ducklings threads

no, don't do that.

By Pete Nice
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 3:15pm

I am hyperbolizing.

You must be new here

By lbb
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 3:50pm

I suggest you read other threads and Kinopio's comments.

Tone policing

By cinnamngrl
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 4:34pm

The last refuge of the factless.

I've been on here for a little while

By SuperChingon
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 5:02pm

and I don't think what you're implying is true. I think you may just not like the message.

Sure, they're there every time there is a tragic bike or car accident but this is what activism looks like and I don't think they do it in an overly aggressive manner, just a manner that might make you a bit uncomfortable. You need to understand that the cyclist is the little guy in these situations and is in desperate need of better representation and consideration in this town.

I’ve been here slightly longer than Kinopio

By Waquiot
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 8:53pm

And what lbb, with whom I have had many a disagreement, says is absolutely true.

Just for kicks, I’ll note that some things I have been reading (about the higher incidence of Covid-19 in minorities and the lower rates in California compared to New York) have been kind of implying that using a car as a mode of transportation might be good when it comes to Covid-19, as it allows for social distancing. I don’t think it’s anything other than theory, but thinking of the likes of ole Kino, I gave pause.

do I need to remind you that not everyone has a car?

By ims
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 10:52pm

A lot of people who live in this city can't afford a car on top of expensive rent. If you can't work from home, it doesn't feel safe to travel to work on the T. The city could be making it safer to ride a bike or walk, but they're doing nothing, so:

1) it's less safe to take the T due to covid
2) it's less safe to walk due to covid, even though streets are empty and the city could block off some parking and "widen" sidewalks.
3) it's less safe to bike because decreased traffic means speeding cars (maybe unintuitive but look at speeding rates in NYC)

So, sure, it's great to drive if you have a car. And it's great to go camp out in your country house if you have that too.

Tone police chief

By cinnamngrl
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 10:57am

What Klinopio says on this subject is true and reasonable. Although it is technically unlawful to kill people with a motor vehicle, records show that there are very little consequences. If we took the problem seriously, it would stop.

The facts that show that road traffic is so reduced that Los Angelos has blue skies. Under these conditions, why should there be any accidents? Public transportation is source of community transmission. That doesn't increase the morality of driving a car.

Yes, it's the tone

By Waquiot
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 1:18pm

And to be honest, I'm surprised that he doesn't react to a triple homicide by saying the same thing. He's a one hit wonder that was an earwig when he debuted. At the end of the day, he is implying that the fight against Covid-19 is not as important as lowering motor vehicle fatalities. Two completely different things. The man is tone deaf.

By the way, people, the news last night reported that the cyclist ran a red light.

Ok thats a bad faith argument

By spin_o_rama
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 5:14pm

Kinopio never said tackling road violence from motor vehicles was more important than combating Covid-19.

Now it does play on what I've seen on Fox News and Twitter, where morons are saying "cars kill more people per year, we gonna ban cars now?" as pushback against the needed measures to combat Covi-19. And the answer is no, of course not but we should be able to speak up about it and address road violence.

If we're gonna play the implying game, well I guess you just said that cyclist deserved to die. Which of course, I do not believe you are actually saying that but we gotta be consistent yeah?

Also can you point to that news report you saw saying the cyclist ran a red light? I'm not finding anything when using the search criteria below:

https://www.google.com/search?q=boston+cyclist+red...

EDIT: Oh look, now this thread returns a hit on the search terms!

Also Streetblogs Mass is reporting the following:

UPDATE: bystander reports suggest that a second, hit-and-run driver may have been involved in the crash that killed a bicyclist in Boston's South End this morning:

https://twitter.com/StreetsblogMASS/status/1253031...

Again, I would argue

By Waquiot
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 8:21pm

That a statement like

Imagine if we treated the 35,000 Americans killed by drivers every year as seriously as we are treating this virus.

Is extremely tone deaf.

But please, enlightenment on what you and Kino are watching on Fox News.

Oh, and is was WBZ-TV at 11 last night that reported the light blowing. That's the only news I watch every day.

Again Kinopio is not wrong

By spin_o_rama
Fri, 04/24/2020 - 10:40am

Trust me, nothing enlightening about the clips I see from Fox News, except further displaying the idiocy of some of the population. The road violence has been a frequent talking point used to push back against the needed stay at home orders, seeming to imply (I won't pretend to know exactly what they are thinking) that well the flu and cars and heart disease are killing more people but we don't shutdown the country blah blah blah. Its a horrible talking point but it just almost so close to getting to the real issue.

Seriously, imagine if we did tackle road violence as a generally united community like so many have done with the stay at home orders and social distancing, we could really work to curb road violence.

Did you mean this WBZ-TV story?

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/04/22/person-hit-...

BOSTON (CBS) — A person was struck by a vehicle in Boston and killed Wednesday morning.

Boston police said they got a call about the crash around 9:10 a.m. They were called to Massachusetts Avenue and Harrison Street.

I-Team sources say the person was riding a bicycle at the time, and police were seen investigating a tractor-trailer.

The scene of the crash in Boston Wednesday morning.

The driver remained on scene, police said. Police and emergency services are currently investigating.

No further information has been released.

This was from 3pm that day, perhaps you can find the 11pm story you are hanging your hat on? I am not seeing it when I search their site.

https://boston.cbslocal.com/search/?q=cyclist+2020...

What is wrong with this statement?

By cinnamngrl
Fri, 04/24/2020 - 12:18pm

Imagine if we treated the 35,000 Americans killed by drivers every year as seriously as we are treating this virus.

It is is true and and vocabulary isn't lurid. I watched the video from WBZ's story and there is nothing about red lights. I read comments saying this on other news articles though. That is how lies get spread.

Okay, let me pose this hypothetical

By Waquiot
Fri, 04/24/2020 - 11:06pm

Let's say Covid-19 didn't exist and Kino said that 35,000 people die in motor vehicle crashes each year is a horrible statistic (assuming he cares about the occupants of the vehicles, who are the bulk of the casualties, which we know he doesn't) and I decide to chime in and say

Imagine if we cared as much about the 500,000 people who die of heart disease each years as we do about the few bicyclists who crash into vehicles.

I would be deeply castigated, and rightly so. In the end, Kino is attempting to compare a scary virus that has killed (as of this writing) over 50,000 Americans in 3 months with no known treatment or vaccine with a means of death that has actually been worked at to bring down the numbers. He's a one trick pony, "cars are bad," and bringing it up in terms of Covid-19 is tone deaf at best.

a waste of disrespectful words

By cinnamngrl
Sat, 04/25/2020 - 6:40pm

You don't have to assume any number is accurate when it is easy to google. It is just a sad attempt to imply that the numbers are fake. Maybe you don't pay attention to much but your own superficial ideas, but there is a lot of effort put into heart disease. At least one tv commercial per hour for medicine and Heart healthy emojis on food labels and menus. That is a poor comparison. Not only is very little effort and attention put into safety for pedestrians and cyclists, but insecure people like you actively attack anyone that cares about their deaths.

If I only wrote what you think I wrote

By Waquiot
Sat, 04/25/2020 - 10:45pm

Which I'm assuming I didn't, since your post bares little relation to what I wrote.

I mean, unless you are saying that initiatives like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration don't exist, which it would seem Kino seems to think.

Effortless

By cinnamngrl
Sun, 04/26/2020 - 1:02pm

The existence of the NHTSA does not disprove Kinopio’s statement

This is not what activism looks like

By Irma la Douce
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 7:03am

People sitting on their butts typing things are not doing activism.

You mean comments specifically?

By Huh?
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 7:08pm

Writing letters to media and better yet to politicians, and writing laws or proposals, gathering allies, working out valid arguments, criticisms, or other forms of literary activism CANNOT be done while sitting on your butt?

That’s not true.

And while a very weak form, I’d say comments can make a few minds reconsider their positions. Political campaigns and intelligence agencies do it, does it have NO effect?

"You need to understand..."

By lbb
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 9:54am

Sure, they're there every time there is a tragic bike or car accident but this is what activism looks like and I don't think they do it in an overly aggressive manner, just a manner that might make you a bit uncomfortable.

They're there every other time too, and this isn't activism. Activism is changing things. Kinopio is to bicycle advocacy what PETA is to animal rights: where PETA says "meat is murder", Kinopio says "cars are murder". Never once has he shown the least degree of nuance. Never once has he indicated the least understanding of situations outside his own narrow bubble. Never once has he advocated a solution of any kind, much less one that's workable for those without his privilege.

You need to understand that the cyclist is the little guy in these situations and is in desperate need of better representation and consideration in this town.

I understand that just fine. What you don't understand is that Kinopio is not providing those things or paving a way to get to them.

stop whining

By cinnamngrl
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 11:02am

If you are going to make such dramatic accusations, you can at least quote an actual example of Klinopio stating something unreasonable.

Oh, I don't need to

By lbb
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 12:15pm

Give it a week and keep your eyes peeled and your mind open. You'll see plenty.

you don't need to be honest?

By cinnamngrl
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 1:13pm

you don't need to be honest? how consistent.

Wow

By lbb
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 3:00pm

I am not your enemy.

Wow?

By cinnamngrl
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 6:59pm

Why shouldn't you be called on your dishonest accusation? so you are the victim now? There is a custom search bar on every page. It would be easy to prove your accusation if it were true.

I suggest

By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 5:02pm

You find something other than your vehicle to keep you warm.

Warmth

By perruptor
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 7:44am

The Beatles told us that happiness is a warm gun. Just sayin'.

What the hell...

By lbb
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 9:55am

...are you even talking about?

If you think Kinopio's statements are offensive

By The Beer Guy
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 6:45am

You should read the story on this very site about the cyclist struck and killed outside of BMC.

Nothing Ever Changes SIGH

By BlackKat
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 11:54am

I see that large truck pulled over, and seemingly being inspected by police, in one of the photos. Yet another case of an overly large truck killing a cyclist on Mass Ave?

Yeah, dollars to donuts that

By Tim Mc.
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 3:05pm

Yeah, dollars to donuts that this truck took a right hook over a cyclist and never checked their mirror to see if there was anything in their sweep. I think this is the majority cause of cyclist deaths in the area.

Whole area

By ElizaLeila
Thu, 04/23/2020 - 10:04am

From Harrison to Albany to Mass Ave Connector/Melnea Cass along Mass Ave is rife with all modes of movement: pedestrian, cyclists, and motorized vehicles (covers mopeds to semis). It is a mess for everyone, but incredibly so for those most vulnerable - peds and cyclists.

Heartbreaking.

Slow Down

By John Costello
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 11:59am

I was getting dirty looks for doing 73 in a 55 on Route 3 in Chelmsford because I wasn't going fast enough.

You are not Will Smith in the opening of I Am Legend driving through Manhattan in your Shelby Cobra. You are not the only person left on the planet. Slow the f down.

What lane were you in?

By Will LaTulippe
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 12:16pm

And if it was to the left of any other vehicle, were you actively completing a pass?

Center Lane Of Course

By John Costello
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 12:27pm

Remember - In Massachusetts you are only allowed to use the left lane for passing!

Just like you are only supposed to use the HOV lane if you have more than one person in the car (or if you put your cop reflective vest that you got from your brother over your passenger seat).

Just like you aren't supposed to throw that ticket book right next to your inspection sticker when you pull into a meter.

Just like you aren't supposed to question a construction worker parking in a HC spot with NH plates but with a MA covered up HP placard, because you know, privacy issues.

Hey! It's The Law!

So

By pmall
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 12:53pm

So you're saying that you were in fact in the left lane?

not a social action

By cinnamngrl
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 2:57pm

Don't validate any reason for driving in response to other's supposed emotion. Follow traffic laws, use your signal to communicate with other drivers.

People are speeding like

By anon
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 12:02pm

People are speeding like maniacs around the south end since there is no traffic anymore to slow them down. My guess is that it's all the gig app drivers trying to cram in as many deliveries as possible. I've seen people going at least 45mph down tiny neighborhood streets in the South End. I doesn't sound that fast until you realize how much ground is covered in a short time on small city streets at that speed. I would have hoped given the relative quiet of the city the police might have more time to enforce traffic laws before someone gets killed but looks like I'm too late on that wish.

Last time I had an

By anon
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 12:53pm

Last time I had an appointment at MGH I was almost hit by a speeding car while I was 1/2 way across the street in the crosswalk. Fwiw, at that crossing there is no traffic signal or stop sign. However it's a clearly marked crosswalk on the MGH campus! I literally dashed forward, terrified I was going to get hit. The car screeched to a halt AFTER passing the crosswalk and the driver did give a wave of apology. I looked back at the car and of course it had the Uber and Lyft stickers. What if I were elderly or on crutches and wasn't able to react quickly? I could have been struck by this a$hole. The entitlement is off the charts with these guys.

RIP

By registeredUser2
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 12:11pm

Bicyclists be safe out there!

RIP

By Scratchie
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 1:33pm

Drivers be less murderous out there.

I am!

By Tim Mc.
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 3:05pm

And I would appreciate it if the drivers would be too.

Before jumping to conclusions

By anon
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 1:31pm

From what has been reported so far, is there any indication of who is at fault here? Is there any indication that speed was a factor? It is horrible that someone has lost their life. A person who loved, and was loved. No matter whose fault this was, this is going to be a very hard, and sad day for some people, including anyone who was involved.

Cyclist

By TheChaldean
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 3:52pm

Tragic.

I was there

By Onscene
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 4:56pm

I saw the whole thing, was brought to NPD headquarters as a witness. The truck had the light, the “bicyclist” was a mass/cass regular. Bike didn’t even attempt to slow down at the intersection, 1000% not trucks fault. Too bad nothing is done about the drug addicts over there, I’m actually shocked this doesn’t happen more.

Bicyclist struck and killed outside Boston Medical Center

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