Massachusetts car accident: Pedestrian killed saving 4-year-old

A horrific Massachusetts car accident has resulted in the death of a 38-year-old man and critical injuries to the 4-year-old daughter of his girlfriend. The fatal car accident occurred in Whitman at around 2 p.m. on a recent Sunday. The man was crossing the street, along with the young girl on her pink bicycle, when tragedy struck. He was thrown about 10 feet from the crash, and the bicycle ended up underneath the front portion of the pickup truck which struck them.

Details of the crash were sparse, though a throng of neighbors rushed out of their houses when they heard the collision. One noted that it sounded like a rear-end collision but does not recall hearing the screeching of brakes. The male victim was said to have rushed to save the girl and thus received the majority of the impact from the vehicle. The girl apparently awakened during the ambulance trip to the hospital and was crying for her mother. She was subsequently reported in stable condition at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Neighbors noted that the roadway was dangerous. Other accidents have apparently occurred at the same location, though this was said to be different because it involved two pedestrians. Few details of the crash itself were disclosed, and it is unclear what caused the pickup to strike the pair. The driver is a 46-year-old Attleboro resident.

Police understandably have their work cut out for them to figure out exactly what occurred. Whatever they conclude, it cannot change the fact that one man is dead and a little girl seriously injured. If, however, it is documented that the fatal car accident was caused by the negligence of the pickup driver, the driver may face claims for wrongful death and personal injury before Massachusetts civil courts. One family has lost a man who acted heroically in saving the 4-year-old’s life, while another is praying for the full recovery of the young girl. If liability is established, damages for injuries suffered may be awarded as a means of providing financial reimbursement for the expenses and pain and suffering which was caused.

Source: Enterprise News, “VIDEOS: Witnesses recall ‘horrifying’ pedestrian crash in Whitman,” Erin Shannon, Sept. 11, 2012