Current Feed Content from 1 Dec 08 09:05
Boston Globe’s Guide to Safe Holiday Driving
Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:06:46 -0500As the holidays approach, many drivers will be decking out their vehicles with Christmas trees, decorative reindeer antlers, or holiday wreaths. The Boston Globe recently reported on the safety and legality of such items.
According to their article, it is legal to strap a Christmas tree or other seasonal items (excluding lights) to the roof of your car. However, it cannot obstruct your view of the road or block headlights, turning lights, or brake lights, as such obstructions could potentially cause an auto accident. Drivers may be subject to a $35 fine for “impeded operation” of a car.
Massachusetts state law does restrict the height and width of all vehicles. The limit on vehicle height is 13 feet 6 inches and width is 8 feet 6 inches, which also applies to items lie mattresses, bicycles, furniture, and, in the case of hunters, game kill.
Loads may also extend up to 4 feet beyond the rear of a car. Drivers must attach a red light, cloth, or flag to the end of the load if it exceeds 4 feet. The article continues to describe the insurance implications if your load becomes unattached and causes a traffic accident.
Inside scoop on what can go outside, Boston Globe, November 23, 2008
Salem Man in Fair Condition After Manchester Accident
Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:59:49 -0500According to Massachusetts state police, a man drove off Route 128 northbound and rolled over around 4pm on Tuesday afternoon. Several people called to alert state police that a 1993 Mercury Cougar had gone into the woods and rolled over. State and Manchester police responded to the car accident.
A Medflight was requested but later cancelled. Instead, Stanley Klosowski, 60, of Salem was taken by ambulance to Beverly Hospital, where he was treated for car accident injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. Klosowski was later transferred to Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical center, where he was listed in fair condition.
The interstate accident is under investigation by state police.
Crash victim driven, not flown, to hospital, Gloucester Daily Times, November 20, 2008
Two MBTA Employees May Be Fired After Crashes
Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:00:19 -0500The Boston Globe reported recently that two members of the MBTA crews connected with recent accidents on the Green Line have tested positive for drugs or alcohol. Neither accident resulted in life-threatening injuries, but testing was part of part of routine accident procedure. Both employees were suspended without pay while the MBTA works through the formal process of dismissing them.
The MBTA would not release the names of the employees in question, and it denied that the positive test results were indicative of a substance abuse problem within the MBTA. According to MBTA officials, the T’s safety regulations are actually more thorough than those mandated by the Federal Transit Administration.
The MBTA’s safety program includes drug and alcohol screenings before hiring crew members and random tests on crew members with safety-sensitive jobs. Both of the employees in question had tested negative during random screenings over the past 13 months.
Both accidents remain under investigation.
2 at T may be fired in crashes, Boston Globe, November 21, 2008
Uxbridge Teen Injured After ATV Crash
Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:21:24 -0500According to an information officer for the Uxbridge, Massachusetts police, a local teen was injured after crashing his Dad’s all-terrain vehicle on Monday. The 16-year old was driving past Mill Street when he hit a tree. The teen and his passenger, also 16, were not wearing helmets at the time of the ATV accident.
The passenger was treated and released from UMass-Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. The driver is listed in stable condition at UMass Memorial Hospital. Police would not release names, as they are both minors.
Police do not suspect that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the ATV crash, but they may press charges because operating an ATV on a public road is illegal. Recreational vehicles are not permitted on public roads. They are only allowed on the driver’s own property or on private property with the consent of the property owner.
For information on the safe use and operation of recreational vehicles, visit the website of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Police.
ATV crash lands teen in hospital, Milford Daily News, November 18, 2008
Truck Accident Leaves Gas Spill in Swansea
Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:47:04 -0500In Swansea, Massachusetts, cleanup crews worked into the night after a tanker trunk rolled over on Sunday morning on Interstate 195, spilling several thousand gallons of gasoline. According to the fire chief, rescue teams were able to recover about 2, 000 gallons of the 12, 500 gallons spilled.
State police say that the truck rollover occurred at 5:50am a half-mile from Exit 3, the Swansea Mall exit ramp. Kim Kilbreth, 55, who was driving the trucker reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which came to rest on its right side.
As of Monday morning, the right eastbound lane of I-95 was still closed. State police are investigating the cause of the truck accident. No injuries were reported.
Swansea rollover leads to massive gas spill, SouthCoastToday.com, November 17, 2008
Boston College Student Injured by Green Line Train
Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:43:55 -0500In Brighton, Massachusetts, a Boston College student was hit by a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) train on Monday morning. The trolley accident occurred near Lake Street and Commonwealth Avenue, where the unidentified 21-year old walked in front of an inbound train.
A spokesperson for the MBTA said that the trolley operator attempted to get the pedestrian’s attention by blowing the horn. However, the student was wearing headphones, so these attempts failed to get his attention.
Both the trolley operator and the trolley accident victim were taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The operator underwent routine drug and alcohol tests, while the victim received treatment for head and leg injuries, as well as facial lacerations.
The MBTA bused riders between Washington Street and Boston College stations as they investigated the MBTA accident.
BC Student Hit, Hurt By Green Line Trolley, TheBostonChannel.com, November 17, 2008
I-93 Tunnel Accidents Possibly Related to Vehicle Fluids
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:23:28 -0500Last weekend, state police responded to almost 20 traffic accidents during a 6-hour period. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in these accidents, but state officials and police now say they believe that these car accidents may have been the result of a liquid spill that occurred on Saturday night.
The Saturday evening accident involved a Hyde Park man who drove his Honda Civic into a wall near a tunnel on Interstate-93. He was issued a citation. Following the accident, police responded to several more motor vehicle accidents in the same area. Hydraulic fluids and antifreeze may have contributed to these car crashes.
One injured driver, a 25-year old from Dorchester, was taken to New England Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries. The series of interstate accidents remains under investigation.
Vehicle fluids may have caused tunnel accidents, police say, Boston Globe, November 18, 2008
MBTA Accident Injures Seven People
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:13:02 -0500This morning around 8:45am, a trolley collision in Boston’s Boylston T station sent seven people, including two trolley conductors, to the hospital. The MBTA accident victims reported neck and pain and were transported to New England Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, and Massachusetts General Hospital.
According to spokesperson for the MBTA, one trolley bumped into a second trolley, causing the two trolleys to hitch together. Both trains contained about 500 commuters, who exited the trolley and walked through the subway tunnel to get to Boylston station.
Although the subway accident did not damage or derail the trains, Green Line service was delayed for several hours. Riders took buses between stations at Arlington and Government Center before regular trolley service resumed just before 10:30am. Investigators say they will examine the tracks, signals, and the behavior of the train operators to determine the cause of the trolley collision.
Trolley collision injures 7, delays Green Line, Boston Globe, November 14, 2008
Police Investigating Mansfield Train Accident
Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:18:20 -0500Last Friday in Mansfield, Massachusetts, a female pedestrian was hit and killed by a high-speed Amtrak Acela train. Police have not publicly identified the train accident victim by name, but she was reportedly a 55-year-old Mansfield woman.
The train was traveling from Boston to New York City to Washington, DC when the accident occurred at around 3:40pm, shutting the track down for close to 40 minutes. After that, trains were permitted to use the track at reduced speeds, but the train accident did cause delays during the Friday afternoon commute.
The train accident occurred on Track 1, where riders wait to board the trains. However, it is illegal to be on the tracks and several warning signs are posted. The nature of the accident was unknown as of Saturday; however the Massachusetts Transit Police is leading an investigation of the accident.
Police seek clues in train fatality, The Sun Chronicle, November 9, 2008
Person killed by train in Mansfield, Boston Herald, November 8, 2008
Boston Researchers Examine Drowsy Drivers
Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:34:57 -0500According to a professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts has as many as 600 sleep-related crashes per year, resulting in serious injuries and, in some cases, fatalities. The state of Massachusetts began investigating the effects of drowsy driving after a motorcyclist was killed by a sleep-deprived driver in 2002.
A panel chaired by Senator Richard T. Moore, of Uxbridge, is considering the possibility of laws to increase penalties for sleep-deprived drivers who cause car accidents and to educate drivers about the dangers of driving while drowsy. Response times are slowed in sleep-deprived drivers, and they are more likely to become distracted, according to a sleep specialist who teaches at Harvard Medical School.
A professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital told the panel that in addition to truck driver, police officers and firefighters are at risk of driving while sleep-deprived. In fact, he estimated that 40% of the motor vehicle accidents that involve police officers may be the result of drowsy driving.
Currently, it is difficult to test for drowsy driving, but technology is under development that would allow officers to test for drowsy driving at traffic stops.
Legislative panel sounds wake-up call on drowsy driving, Boston Globe, November 7, 2008
Interstate 95 Closes After Truck Accident
Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:19:53 -0500Last week in Attleboro, Massachusetts, an early morning truck accident forced officials to close Interstate 95. The crash occurred around 4:45am when a 1997 Volvo hit a concrete barrier and swerved across all traffic lanes, colliding with the driver’s side of a tractor-trailer.
Michael Cowan, 37, of Northbridge was driving the fuel-filled rig, which began to leak the fuel it was transporting. It is estimated about a third of the 11, 000 gallons in the truck’s tanker leaked onto the road, and all four lanes were closed.
It took until early afternoon for fire and environmental crews to off-load the spilled fuel and right the truck. Fourteen area homes were evacuated because of the fuel leak. All four lanes of traffic were reopened by 3:30pm.
Cowan and two other crash victims were transported to Rhode Island Hospital and treated for minor injuries. State police Massachusetts and Rhode Island are investigating the interstate accident along with the state fire marshal, the state Department of Environmental Protection, the North Attleboro and T.F. Green Airport fire departments, and the state fire marshal.
Northbridge trucker in wreck that closes I-95, Worcester Telegram, November 6, 2008
Investigation Ends for Essex Truck Accident
Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:22:55 -0500Investigators have concluded the investigation into a truck rollover off Western Avenue in Essex, Massachusetts. As a result of the truck accident, a man was sent to Massachusetts General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The accident occurred in October when John Larry Ayers, 59, was delivering stone to Fisher Corp. Ayers is a driver with Bentley Warren in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and the truck rolled over while he was dumping the stone. Firefighters had to extract Ayer from the truck’s cab using the Jaws of Life. The accident victim was then flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital and released after a medical evaluation.
Conducted by Essex police, the Massachusetts State Police truck team, the Massachusetts State Police accident reconstruction team, and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the investigation concluded that the truck accident was the result of operator error. No charged were files, and the case is now closed.
Driver error blamed for truck accident, Gloucester Times, November 4, 2008
Commuter Rail Train Collides with Car in Salem
Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:09:50 -0500In Salem, Massachusetts, a car driven by a 76-year-old Peabody man was struck by a commuter train in a Massachusetts tunnel during the evening rush hour on Monday. Officials say the driver was able to walk and talk to investigators after the commuter rail accident, but the man later died. It is unclear whether injuries resulting from the crash played a role in his death. His name has not been released to the public.
Witnesses to the commuter rail collision say that the man was driving along the ground-level platform at the Salem station before driving about 300 feet into the tunnel. The driver of the northbound commuter train braked when he saw the headlights of the car, but it was too late.
No injuries were reported by passengers of the commuter rail train.
Driver dies after collision with MA commuter train, Boston Globe, November 3, 2008
Car driven by 76-year-old driver strikes Mass. commuter train in rail tunnel; man later dies, Newsday, November 3, 2008
Rockport Offers Safety Course for Motorcyclists
Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:56:42 -0500According to the Massachusetts’ Registry of Motor Vehicles, the number of registered motorcyclists increased by 12 percent in 2006 (the most recent year for which data is available). A state Department of Public Health report for 2006 released earlier this year states that 55 motorcyclists died in Massachusetts as the result of injuries suffered during a motorcycle accident.
In response to the increasing popularity of motorcycles in Massachusetts, the Rockport Ambulance Association is sponsoring an all-day training session on motorcycle safety. The November 16 course is free to the public and open to all Cape Ann residents. Emergency personnel who choose to complete the course will receive continuing education credits upon payment of $55.
The goal of this course is to reduce motorcyclist accident fatalities and the severity of injuries by teaching proper actions and reactions. Participants will learn how to secure a crash scene, how to assess the emergency medical safety factors, and how motorcyclists can protect themselves legally and financially. The course will also discuss injuries that are commonly associated with motorcycle accidents. Call 978-546-9589 to register for the “Crash Course for the Motorcyclist.”
Rise in riders prompts 'crash course for motorcyclists' in Rockport, Gloucester Times, October 31, 2008
Lowell Trying to Prevent Traffic Accidents
Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:33:49 -0500Officials are Lowell, Massachusetts are concerned about the number of traffic accidents at Lowell intersections and are looking for ways to fix the problem.
The Massachusetts Highway Department’s 2008 study of car accidents in Massachusetts found that Lowell has the number one and number three intersections with the most car crashes. It also has two more intersections that were listed in the top 20 and 10 that were listed in the top 200.
Between 2004 and 2006, Lowell had 1, 1133 car accidents at its 14 most dangerous intersections, resulting in 328 injuries and three deaths. Lowell is the fourth largest city in Massachusetts with 100, 000 people, so the volume of traffic it handles is another concern.
Over the next four years, MassHighway plans to spend $42 million on projects that will improve Lowell intersections. These projects include creating a pedestrian bridge over Thorndike Street, improving traffic signals, and bettering or replacing bridges. In addition, the Lowell police are ticketing drivers who rush into intersections and block oncoming traffic and setting up sobriety checkpoints in an effort to make sure that drivers to follow the law.
Lowell looks to put brakes on traffic accidents, Boston Globe, October 30, 2008
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