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We have been practicing law in Boston and throughout Massachusetts since 1985. I have represented clients in District Courts, Superior Courts, the Appeals Court, Housing Court, Probate Courts, Federal Bankruptcy Court and the Federal District Court.
During our long winters, a common sight is that of snowplows on our highways, clearing off the snow usually during the late night or early morning hours to prepare for the morning commute. Plows can also be seen in parking lots and on suburban streets in the twilight or evening. These vehicles are large and of necessity slow-moving, and can present a hazard to other motorists wherever they operate.
In early December, two pedestrians were struck and injured by a hit-and-run motorist at the intersection of Cabot and Winter Street in Beverly. The accident occurred around 9:00 p.m. Police later arrested a Boxford man who was the owner and apparent operator of a car that displayed considerable front end damage, prompting police to suspect the young man of having caused the accident. Prosecutors have charged the man with drunk driving causing serious bodily injury, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and a crosswalk violation. The pedestrians’ injuries were not life-threatening according to city officials.
It is always a sound and commonsense practice to look both ways before crossing the street, even if you are crossing in a marked crosswalk with a green light in your favor. However, there may be certain streets or intersections where you should be especially cautious. In Ipswich, there have recently been two accidents involving pedestrians in crosswalks.
Recently, an accident involving two Brockton motorists resulted in an unrestrained driver being ejected from his vehicle. When the driver of an Audi attempted to pass another vehicle, an Infiniti, the two vehicles collided and spun out on a yard near the intersection of Sheridan and Benham Streets, Brockton. The Audi driver was ejected from his vehicle, though he did not sustain life-threatening injuries. The owner of the Infiniti fled the scene and was later determined to have been driving without a license.
Buses are ubiquitous on our roadways and include school buses, public transportation vehicles, and private transports. They are a common sight and in many urban areas, there are now special bus lanes that allow them and regular passenger vehicles to move more freely so as to relieve congestion on our increasingly crowded roadways.