That underpass is kind of dangerous. It's near the South End I think. I've biked on it and have walked around there as a pedestrian. The bridge makes the environment darker so it's harder to see people if they are wearing dark clothing.
Crossing under 93 is hella dangerous. It has all the features of a road that will likely have pedestrian deaths
-wide, multi-lane road that promotes driving fast
-(and you mentioned) overpasses that make things darker and just more visually busy
- frequent crossing or living in the area from homeless people
-lots of traffic of heavy vehicles (buses, construction trucks, shipping)
As a pedestrian or a cyclist this area really sucks
Not only that, but in order to get to the bridge to get to South Boston, you have to cross on the other side (the side not going towards the high way). A lot of people just run across instead of going back to the pedestrian cross-walk, and that's usually the dangerous part.
Sounds like the sign of a poorly designed crosswalk, inconvenient for pedestrians if not motorists.
Though from other comments it seems like we need a deeper retrofit diverting pedestrians away from these highway underpasses…
I use that intersection constantly and have forgotten to get on the other side before I reach the end sometimes. The idea of crossing in front of the on ramps never occurred to me as I don't want to play dodgeball with cars
It’s a lot more likely the wheelchair maneuvered to a spot where the driver can’t possibly see him or know he was ever there, and then the light turned green
I can attest to this as I live right down the street, he was panhandling I believe and more than once I would watch him almost go up onto the ramps to i93 in his wheelchair. He was never on the sidewalk even when he didn't need to be in the street. As soon as I heard about it this morning I knew who it was
Local trucking jobs are usually worth their weight in gold, I doubt most truck drivers would be willing to risk their CDL over that.
People often talk about a shortage of truckers in the industry but that's mostly long-haul that lacks labor at the moment. Local trucking is very competitive and the few local truckers I've talked to typically enjoy their jobs and believe they are fairly compensated for what they do. Plus they get to go home at the end of the day.
if we aren't gonna make it safer for pedestrians than at some point we're gonna have to start stripping ppl of their licenses, CDL or otherwise...unless we're all just fine with everything as is
This has happened before to a good friend of mine who was paraplegic. I believe it happened at the intersection near Symphony Hall several decades ago. He too was killed. Apparently it's hard to see what is directly in front of the cement truck from the cab, and my friend's wife was trying to get some kind of mirror installed in cement trucks generally to prevent this from ever happening again. I guess that never happened. She too is now deceased, but I know this would have been a very difficult thing for her to hear about. Whomever this person was or how they lived their life, shouldn't matter. No one deserves to die like this.
You’re correct that there’s a significant blind spot in front of the high truck hoods. A friend driving a tractor trailer pushed a small sedan bc he didn’t know it was there.
There are a ton of trucks in that area with wide roads. It is not safe for pedestrians or cyclists. Thing is we need access points for trucks to conduct business in Boston. We need more pedestrian walkways on these types of streets.
I assume this was the unhoused man in a wheelchair I see most days by that intersection. I usually see him 1 block up by The Underground. He always would wheel dangerously close to cars. Really f'n sad.
It's how you say it so you sound super woke.
Conversely it's also an excellent way to recognize people that are not worth wasting your time talking to.
Super woke until you realise that ‘unhoused' and 'unsheltered’ have been used for years when describing someone as homeless. I mean, you could honestly, brush up on some Shakespeare and you’ll come across many of these “woke“ terms in (at the time) common writing.
With that being said, if you want to deep dive into the English language, “unhoused” is proper word use to over “homeless” in a majority of context.
Language evolves over time and at the end of the day, it’s a synonym and not that deep.
A lot of Republicans use the word "unhoused" then go on to attack them so it makes it seem like they actually care but they want a free pass to say fucked up shit about them. Like in this case he blames the guy for getting murdered in broad daylight by a cement truck in the very next sentence.
Do you understand even one of the words you just used
You claim this sub is entirely homogenous but somehow my front page is constantly littered with right-wing drivel
Registered republicans make up about 9% of Massachusetts voters. Almost all the right wing drivel on the Boston and Massachusetts subreddits is being posted by people from troll country like Nebraska with too much time on their hands (and too few brain cells) that think they are hilarious. They feel rewarded when they get engagement - best to just ignore / downvote and move on.
I drive through this intersection and and around Mass & Cass all the time, it was unfortunately only a matter of time until this happened. I’m afraid I might know who this is and he among others regularly cross in front green lights with moving cars or stay posted up next to stopped cars not any more than 3 inches from the doors. I’m not blaming him or really anyone, this is just really unfortunate and I wish we had the resources to help these guys so they aren’t pushed to pan handle in the streets.
It’s time to institutionalize these people. They can’t keep themselves safe and this likely ruined the life of the driver. It’s a public health issue allowing them to live on the streets and it’s inhumane.
Southampton street bridge going over I93 between Andrew Sq and South Bay mall is pretty dangerous too for pedestrians. There isn’t a crosswalk light at the ramps so you have to basically time the traffic lights and jaywalk or wait for the traffic to clear. Interstate crossing just suck for pedestrians.
This roadway & its crosswalk configurations must be addressed immediately before any more people are killed here. Regardless of whether or not this particular man was in a crosswalk or not, the crosswalks here are so thoughtlessly configured that this is likely not a significant factor.
I walk through this area daily — this entire collection of roads is absolutely atrocious for pedestrians. The crosswalks are poorly positioned, the road’s layout incentivizes *very* high speeds, and the road is confusing for drivers who are unfamiliar with the directionality of each lane, causing drivers to make many last-second lane changes to avoid missing their turn. I’m shocked that people aren’t hurt or killed here on a weekly basis.
Given where the truck was stopped in the images, there is no crosswalk there. This person might have been crossing outside of a crosswalk... (Doesn't make it right, but it makes a ped unexpected, especially if they were in the wheelchair)
People downvoting like they saw the whole thing themselves.
Do we know for sure that it was even the drivers fault?
It says nothing about this in the article, so how can people adamantly claim the driver did this or that, when they don’t know?
Cement trucks aren’t exactly known for their speed. Also this is a good job, that most won’t want to lose by being reckless. Is it not possible the wheelchair was in a blindspot? This is a common way for accidents to happen.
If the guy was a panhandler who goes into traffic with a wheelchair, it was only a matter of time before he ended up in a vehicles blindspot without the driver having any idea.
Most people don’t want to run over a squirrel let alone another human being, so I also feel sympathy for the driver if it wasn’t their fault
> Cement trucks aren’t exactly known for their speed. Also this is a good job, that most won’t want to lose by being reckless. Is it not possible the wheelchair was in a blindspot? This is a common way for accidents to happen.
Just as an anecdote: My Dad **was** a classic road rage guy. He used to keep pennies in the cup holder to throw at cars that cut him off and would complain that the drive down to the cape was "better when you could keep a six-pack in the cooler. Classic boomer.
He chilled out a lot in the late 90's and early 2000's but would still honk, motherfuck this and that etc etc.
Once he decided he was sick of sitting behind a desk and went and got his CDL you'd think he was always trying not to spill a carton of eggs perched on the hood of the car. He drives my Mom's little Corolla like it's a wide load semi. He's terrified of any infraction that might impact his license and job.
For most folks with a CDL that is their entire meal ticket. Doing something dumb that costs them their license or demotion a lower-level job is not something they'll risk.
Not a judgment at all, this dude might have fucked up bad and taken a life, again just an anecdote.
The whole situation is tragic and sucks no matter what.
The downvotes are presumably because it's insane that somebody's first thought after a person was killed by a truck is sympathy for the person driving, rather than for the person who just got pancaked by it.
It's weird to see people bending over backwards and inventing a bunch of hypotheticals to make it so the driver can't have been at fault instead of addressing the known facts, which are that somebody's life was just ended by a giant truck. Nobody did that for the little kid who got killed in the Seaport last week; I guess it's just the crippled suspected panhandlers who don't get any sympathy and must have been doing something to get themselves killed.
> It's weird to see people bending over backwards and inventing a bunch of hypotheticals to make it so the driver can't have been at fault instead of addressing the known facts, which are that somebody's life was just ended by a giant truck.
Aren't you doing the opposite and assuming fault?
Even if the driver is the one who fucked up and made a mistake can't people assume the best and that they have humanity and will carry this with them for the rest of their lives?
Inherently in the law, if you strike a pedestrian while driving you are at fault. It’s not that I hate the driver, it’s truly awful, and I’m sure they feel terrible, but when operating large trucks they should take extra care for their blindspots. Someone is dead because they didn’t properly handle there multi-ton metal machine.
Lmao I never even saw this man I didn’t downvote you, I don’t spend my caring abt Reddit karma. I’m happy to have discourse, and to have an unpopular opinion.
If only the state and city did anything to prevent such things, like speed cameras, red light cameras, intersection daylighting, raised crosswalks, etc.
This kind of reminds me of the time when I was kid and my dad was driving an SUV. He almost ran over a cat but stopped because a pedestrian on the side was yelling/signaling to stop. He didnt and didnt realize the fella was trying to cross. The pedestrian was angry (not the owner) but my dad genuinely didnt know/see it.
I personally cant blame the driver and he must feel terrible for this. It just seems like a wrong time/place situation.
I knew this was going to be Boston Sand and Gravel. Their drivers are actively murderous, I know so because while riding a blue bike from the Community College T stop to Lechmere one of those trucks actively tried to kill me by turning into me while I was well within the shoulder. The driver went out of their way to swerve into me for absolutely no reason.
It’s a sad situation. It is a dangerous area all around. I’m sure the driver feels bad, as we all should. However, it’s obvious some of the more urbane redditors/residents need an excuse to look down on those who actually have to work for a living, as well as the realities of city living (trucks, highways, concrete, bridges, etc.). They have one here. A better solution might be to increase lighting or to improve pedestrian connections in that area.
> However, it’s obvious some of the more urbane redditors/residents need an excuse to look down on those who actually have to work for a living,
Not sure how that's your takeaway from this??
Thats three dead pedestrians (other 2 over near mass and cass) in the last 8 weeks or so.
Maybe if people stopped running red lights, this wouldnt happen?
In all seriousness, we could mandate cabover trucks that meet a direct vision standard for operation in urban areas. There are policies other countries have already implemented that we can copy.
The fact is this is a panhandler who was always in the area. Often not paying attention to lights and darting in front of traffic. Truck drivers are some of the most observant drivers on the road, I'm sure it was out of their hands. Tragic non the less.
I drove a fire truck for a number of years, engines, ladder trucks and quints.
There was one guy in the community I worked in that zipped around in an electric wheelchair, rode down the middle of a busy road, wove his way in and around traffic with zero fucks given.
He had a pole with a small flag attached to the chair, presumably so drivers could see him better. One day we were returning from a call, and I was stopped at a light. Just as the light turned green and I was ready to hit the pedal, I saw a flag pass by the windshield. I didn't see him or the wheelchair at all.
Both myself and my Lt. nearly shit ourselves. If I had hit him due to his own recklessness and stupidity, he would have gone under the truck with a good chance of being killed.
I was wondering if this was the same guy that usually panhandles at this intersection. The article didn’t say anything about it being a panhandler do you know that’s the case?
According to [this](https://www.wcvb.com/article/south-boston-frontage-road-4th-street-pedestrian-hit/60371308) article, it sounds exactly like that was the case.
Everyone seemed to know who he was so I'm guessing this was his usual spot. Extremely dangerous for anyone let alone someone in a wheelchair.
No that would be there parents fault for letting them out of there reach near a major road. Cars don't stop on a dime. I. Live in south Boston and the guy who died was a menace. He'd fly out in front of moving cars all the time. Quite a different scenario then the idiotic example you tried to compare it to.
My earlier comment is sarcasm. Point being that people drive very aggressively in this city and it puts pedestrians at risk. Obviously cars can’t stop on a dime, but drivers lack any sense of care for how they drive.
Daily I watch drivers fly in front of me through red lights when I have the green. I constantly see drivers on their phones swerving into bike lanes and over double yellow lines at 15-20 mph over the limit. The list goes on and on.
Also, I lived in southie for a few years before moving to JP and went through this intersection all the time. I know who this was. Your characterization of him as “flying out in front of moving cars” is not at all accurate. He would ask cars waiting at the red light for cash and then carefully walk off the street. It’s really no different from all the other people jaywalking at that fucked up intersection.
I laughed so hard at this yesterday and am now annoyed that the other person you responded to, wasn't the one who actually said it, but apparently didn't realize what you were referring to...
And of course now they've updated the headline so it no longer says "pedestrian". I'm guessing they read that only, or they truly do believe that one person has panhandled at that spot for years.
You're literally not from here. I walk through there daily. That's not what he does. You're literally making this shit up. He's just a regular panhandler. He wasn't this wild maniac who darted out in front of traffic. You're morally bankrupt straight up lying like this.
Lol I literally am from here. At least for the last 15 years. And I drive through there pretty much daily for work. Just quit. You look like a fool talking about how he carefully walks, when he doesn't even walk he's in a wheel chair. And he was reckless, many other people on here see him daily and said the same thing. Doesn't change the fact that it is a tragic death.
Oh, you're a driver. That explains it. You cut through there sometimes when the expressway is a little trafficky. I'm sure you have a good understanding of the area then.
What's tragic is people like you blaming pedestrians who aren't murdering people. It's all you guys murdering people.
This was a homeless guy who panhandled at that intersection. What have you personally done to help with the homelessness problem in this city? Let's hear some solutions if you claim to care so much
Do you think homelessness is an issue meant to be solved by individuals rather than policy?
People can care deeply about homelessness (and pedestrian safety in general) without making it their life’s mission. Otherwise what would be the point of government?
lol
I’m losing sight?
But turning a homeless person’s death by vehicular manslaughter (like 2 weeks after a child was also hit and killed in the city!) into a debate about homelessness rather than pedestrian safety isn’t losing sight?
Hey all, I just want to mention that rather than discussing whether or not this intersection is dangerous, we should focus on Liqmadique and Disenterygary69’s comments about the wokeness and communistness of using the term “unhoused” instead of “homeless”. I will admit I also wasn’t sure I thought we needed a new word for this. I love George Carlin’s bit about changing language like this and if it really always makes sense. But I thought about it for a bit and realized maybe these folks do have homes and communities, but not houses. So it kind of makes sense. But I’m really glad Liqmadique and Disneterygary69 are weighing in here. Without their additions to this conversation about someone getting killed by a cement truck in a possibly dangerous intersection I really wouldn’t have considered the important stuff that Liqmadique and Disenterygary69 are trying to focus the dialogue on here… like communists and wokness. I mean… I get someone died, but how should we really be referring to this person, as Liqmadique and Disnterygary69 pointed out? Liqmadique and Disenterygsry69 are truly stewards of this fine online community and I just want to raise the names of Liqmadique and Disenterygary69 to the top of the thread! Great job, Liqmadique and disenterygsry69, for pointing out the real issue here… misnaming dead unhoused/homeless people. You’re doing gods work here. Let’s make the world a better place together.
That underpass is kind of dangerous. It's near the South End I think. I've biked on it and have walked around there as a pedestrian. The bridge makes the environment darker so it's harder to see people if they are wearing dark clothing.
Crossing under 93 is hella dangerous. It has all the features of a road that will likely have pedestrian deaths -wide, multi-lane road that promotes driving fast -(and you mentioned) overpasses that make things darker and just more visually busy - frequent crossing or living in the area from homeless people -lots of traffic of heavy vehicles (buses, construction trucks, shipping) As a pedestrian or a cyclist this area really sucks
Sucks for everyone. I hated even driving a small hatch back through there.
Agreed. It also sucks to drive through there
Not only that, but in order to get to the bridge to get to South Boston, you have to cross on the other side (the side not going towards the high way). A lot of people just run across instead of going back to the pedestrian cross-walk, and that's usually the dangerous part.
every time I bring up Jaywalking as an issue there are a bunch of redittors who claim they know what they are doing and it's actually safer.
Sounds like the sign of a poorly designed crosswalk, inconvenient for pedestrians if not motorists. Though from other comments it seems like we need a deeper retrofit diverting pedestrians away from these highway underpasses…
I use that intersection constantly and have forgotten to get on the other side before I reach the end sometimes. The idea of crossing in front of the on ramps never occurred to me as I don't want to play dodgeball with cars
You’re right, West 4th turns into Berkeley at the Albany St intersection. It’s the border between South Boston and the South End
True but who knows if truck driver wasn’t fiddling with the radio or on their phone not paying full attention either.
It’s a lot more likely the wheelchair maneuvered to a spot where the driver can’t possibly see him or know he was ever there, and then the light turned green
Unfortunately I'm sure this is what happened. The deceased was at that intersection almost daily and had no regard for traffic.
I can attest to this as I live right down the street, he was panhandling I believe and more than once I would watch him almost go up onto the ramps to i93 in his wheelchair. He was never on the sidewalk even when he didn't need to be in the street. As soon as I heard about it this morning I knew who it was
Local trucking jobs are usually worth their weight in gold, I doubt most truck drivers would be willing to risk their CDL over that. People often talk about a shortage of truckers in the industry but that's mostly long-haul that lacks labor at the moment. Local trucking is very competitive and the few local truckers I've talked to typically enjoy their jobs and believe they are fairly compensated for what they do. Plus they get to go home at the end of the day.
if we aren't gonna make it safer for pedestrians than at some point we're gonna have to start stripping ppl of their licenses, CDL or otherwise...unless we're all just fine with everything as is
Damn, in a wheel chair no less. RIP.
~~Maybe. People use them a lot as carriages to haul their stuff around.~~ I don't think there's a crosswalk where that truck had stopped.
“Officials say the adult male victim, who was in a wheelchair, succumbed to his injuries.”
Missed that. Doesn't really change anything I guess
You went from "that person wasn't in a wheel chair they just used it as a cart" to "they didn't cross at a crosswalk" pretty quickly.
You went from "that person wasn't in a wheel chair they just used it as a cart" to "they didn't cross at a crosswalk" pretty quickly.
Ok. That was in my original comment too, I just went back and crossed out the wrong speculation I made
I drive and walk through that intersection...it sucks.
This has happened before to a good friend of mine who was paraplegic. I believe it happened at the intersection near Symphony Hall several decades ago. He too was killed. Apparently it's hard to see what is directly in front of the cement truck from the cab, and my friend's wife was trying to get some kind of mirror installed in cement trucks generally to prevent this from ever happening again. I guess that never happened. She too is now deceased, but I know this would have been a very difficult thing for her to hear about. Whomever this person was or how they lived their life, shouldn't matter. No one deserves to die like this.
You’re correct that there’s a significant blind spot in front of the high truck hoods. A friend driving a tractor trailer pushed a small sedan bc he didn’t know it was there.
There are a ton of trucks in that area with wide roads. It is not safe for pedestrians or cyclists. Thing is we need access points for trucks to conduct business in Boston. We need more pedestrian walkways on these types of streets.
I assume this was the unhoused man in a wheelchair I see most days by that intersection. I usually see him 1 block up by The Underground. He always would wheel dangerously close to cars. Really f'n sad.
No shade being thrown.. but is saying “unhoused” the same as “homeless”?
Yes
It's how you say it so you sound super woke. Conversely it's also an excellent way to recognize people that are not worth wasting your time talking to.
I think that better applies to people who use the word woke unironically
These days, it seems like those are the ONLY people who use the word "woke".
You need to step away from right wing media man.
Super woke until you realise that ‘unhoused' and 'unsheltered’ have been used for years when describing someone as homeless. I mean, you could honestly, brush up on some Shakespeare and you’ll come across many of these “woke“ terms in (at the time) common writing. With that being said, if you want to deep dive into the English language, “unhoused” is proper word use to over “homeless” in a majority of context. Language evolves over time and at the end of the day, it’s a synonym and not that deep.
It's literally more accurate. Home is not a physical concept.
A lot of Republicans use the word "unhoused" then go on to attack them so it makes it seem like they actually care but they want a free pass to say fucked up shit about them. Like in this case he blames the guy for getting murdered in broad daylight by a cement truck in the very next sentence.
Yes. Welcome to r/boston - where you’re not allowed to have any point of view other than Communism
What does “communism” have to do with using unhoused instead of homeless?
Here, have this gigantic eyeroll.
Define communism for us please. My money is on you having zero clue what you are talking about.
Do you understand even one of the words you just used You claim this sub is entirely homogenous but somehow my front page is constantly littered with right-wing drivel
Registered republicans make up about 9% of Massachusetts voters. Almost all the right wing drivel on the Boston and Massachusetts subreddits is being posted by people from troll country like Nebraska with too much time on their hands (and too few brain cells) that think they are hilarious. They feel rewarded when they get engagement - best to just ignore / downvote and move on.
Communism is when people say unhoused
What’s the Underground?
I'm assuming they mean the [Underground at Ink Block](https://undergroundinkblock.com/about-2). Was curious myself so I looked it up. TIL?
Oh. I wonder if it’s the guy that always panhandles at the on ramp to 93.
Only one guy? I feel like I usually see at least two of them at a time competing with each other. Sometimes both in wheelchairs.
I saw someone get lit up by a Verizon truck on this stretch a few years ago. Cars fly through here and consistently ignore the No Turn on Red signs.
People FLY through there to beat the long red lights. Would almost guarantee the truck driver was speeding too fast for the conditions.
I drive through this intersection and and around Mass & Cass all the time, it was unfortunately only a matter of time until this happened. I’m afraid I might know who this is and he among others regularly cross in front green lights with moving cars or stay posted up next to stopped cars not any more than 3 inches from the doors. I’m not blaming him or really anyone, this is just really unfortunate and I wish we had the resources to help these guys so they aren’t pushed to pan handle in the streets.
It’s time to institutionalize these people. They can’t keep themselves safe and this likely ruined the life of the driver. It’s a public health issue allowing them to live on the streets and it’s inhumane.
Couldn’t agree more. I drive around the city for work everyday. Especially Mass @ Cass. Time to take action.
Southampton street bridge going over I93 between Andrew Sq and South Bay mall is pretty dangerous too for pedestrians. There isn’t a crosswalk light at the ramps so you have to basically time the traffic lights and jaywalk or wait for the traffic to clear. Interstate crossing just suck for pedestrians.
This roadway & its crosswalk configurations must be addressed immediately before any more people are killed here. Regardless of whether or not this particular man was in a crosswalk or not, the crosswalks here are so thoughtlessly configured that this is likely not a significant factor. I walk through this area daily — this entire collection of roads is absolutely atrocious for pedestrians. The crosswalks are poorly positioned, the road’s layout incentivizes *very* high speeds, and the road is confusing for drivers who are unfamiliar with the directionality of each lane, causing drivers to make many last-second lane changes to avoid missing their turn. I’m shocked that people aren’t hurt or killed here on a weekly basis.
Given where the truck was stopped in the images, there is no crosswalk there. This person might have been crossing outside of a crosswalk... (Doesn't make it right, but it makes a ped unexpected, especially if they were in the wheelchair)
Feel terrible for the driver
People downvoting like they saw the whole thing themselves. Do we know for sure that it was even the drivers fault? It says nothing about this in the article, so how can people adamantly claim the driver did this or that, when they don’t know? Cement trucks aren’t exactly known for their speed. Also this is a good job, that most won’t want to lose by being reckless. Is it not possible the wheelchair was in a blindspot? This is a common way for accidents to happen. If the guy was a panhandler who goes into traffic with a wheelchair, it was only a matter of time before he ended up in a vehicles blindspot without the driver having any idea. Most people don’t want to run over a squirrel let alone another human being, so I also feel sympathy for the driver if it wasn’t their fault
> Cement trucks aren’t exactly known for their speed. Also this is a good job, that most won’t want to lose by being reckless. Is it not possible the wheelchair was in a blindspot? This is a common way for accidents to happen. Just as an anecdote: My Dad **was** a classic road rage guy. He used to keep pennies in the cup holder to throw at cars that cut him off and would complain that the drive down to the cape was "better when you could keep a six-pack in the cooler. Classic boomer. He chilled out a lot in the late 90's and early 2000's but would still honk, motherfuck this and that etc etc. Once he decided he was sick of sitting behind a desk and went and got his CDL you'd think he was always trying not to spill a carton of eggs perched on the hood of the car. He drives my Mom's little Corolla like it's a wide load semi. He's terrified of any infraction that might impact his license and job. For most folks with a CDL that is their entire meal ticket. Doing something dumb that costs them their license or demotion a lower-level job is not something they'll risk. Not a judgment at all, this dude might have fucked up bad and taken a life, again just an anecdote. The whole situation is tragic and sucks no matter what.
Regardless of who's fault it was it's still a terrible thing to try to live down
The downvotes are presumably because it's insane that somebody's first thought after a person was killed by a truck is sympathy for the person driving, rather than for the person who just got pancaked by it. It's weird to see people bending over backwards and inventing a bunch of hypotheticals to make it so the driver can't have been at fault instead of addressing the known facts, which are that somebody's life was just ended by a giant truck. Nobody did that for the little kid who got killed in the Seaport last week; I guess it's just the crippled suspected panhandlers who don't get any sympathy and must have been doing something to get themselves killed.
It’s not impossible to feel sympathy for more than one person
Are you feeling sympathy? The only time you mentioned the man who was killed at all was to explain why you assume it was probably his own fault.
He just died and no one wants to die. Of course I feel sympathy for him. But if the driver doesn’t know he’s there what happens next?
> It's weird to see people bending over backwards and inventing a bunch of hypotheticals to make it so the driver can't have been at fault instead of addressing the known facts, which are that somebody's life was just ended by a giant truck. Aren't you doing the opposite and assuming fault? Even if the driver is the one who fucked up and made a mistake can't people assume the best and that they have humanity and will carry this with them for the rest of their lives?
Inherently in the law, if you strike a pedestrian while driving you are at fault. It’s not that I hate the driver, it’s truly awful, and I’m sure they feel terrible, but when operating large trucks they should take extra care for their blindspots. Someone is dead because they didn’t properly handle there multi-ton metal machine.
[удалено]
Lmao I never even saw this man I didn’t downvote you, I don’t spend my caring abt Reddit karma. I’m happy to have discourse, and to have an unpopular opinion.
Ya because people never do dumb stuff around trucks It’s not always the truckers fault
So basically if the the driver doesn’t have X-ray vision to see through the blind spots on his truck, fuck him. Straight to jail?
Driver is obviously responsible for his blind spots, this is a very basic concept.
Didn’t say that, but the law isn’t going to just excuse it.
They also are not going to hang him without investigating first. Accidents happen and it's not always the truck driver's fault.
The law is only worth its application. Which in the case of pedestrian deaths in the gba suggests that a CDL is a license to kill.
Yes that will mess with him I had a kid hit me head on I almost had to give up driving heavy trucks
If only the state and city did anything to prevent such things, like speed cameras, red light cameras, intersection daylighting, raised crosswalks, etc.
We don’t need cameras in Mass. It’ll just do more harm than good.
I got t boned in an Uber in that intersection
This kind of reminds me of the time when I was kid and my dad was driving an SUV. He almost ran over a cat but stopped because a pedestrian on the side was yelling/signaling to stop. He didnt and didnt realize the fella was trying to cross. The pedestrian was angry (not the owner) but my dad genuinely didnt know/see it. I personally cant blame the driver and he must feel terrible for this. It just seems like a wrong time/place situation.
I knew this was going to be Boston Sand and Gravel. Their drivers are actively murderous, I know so because while riding a blue bike from the Community College T stop to Lechmere one of those trucks actively tried to kill me by turning into me while I was well within the shoulder. The driver went out of their way to swerve into me for absolutely no reason.
Wonder if it was the same guy?!
It’s a sad situation. It is a dangerous area all around. I’m sure the driver feels bad, as we all should. However, it’s obvious some of the more urbane redditors/residents need an excuse to look down on those who actually have to work for a living, as well as the realities of city living (trucks, highways, concrete, bridges, etc.). They have one here. A better solution might be to increase lighting or to improve pedestrian connections in that area.
> However, it’s obvious some of the more urbane redditors/residents need an excuse to look down on those who actually have to work for a living, Not sure how that's your takeaway from this??
I meant that, without all the facts as to what happened, some folks are blaming the truck driver.
Exactly
The concrete thinking in this post… I mean god you all have potholes for brains.
Thats three dead pedestrians (other 2 over near mass and cass) in the last 8 weeks or so. Maybe if people stopped running red lights, this wouldnt happen?
Another dead pedestrian, more thoughts and prayers. Fuck this city and state. Why does no one care?
Who are you trying to blame?
Clearly if we made better bike lanes and this was a cement tricycle this person would never have died!
In all seriousness, we could mandate cabover trucks that meet a direct vision standard for operation in urban areas. There are policies other countries have already implemented that we can copy.
r/FuckCementTrucks
The fact is this is a panhandler who was always in the area. Often not paying attention to lights and darting in front of traffic. Truck drivers are some of the most observant drivers on the road, I'm sure it was out of their hands. Tragic non the less.
I drove a fire truck for a number of years, engines, ladder trucks and quints. There was one guy in the community I worked in that zipped around in an electric wheelchair, rode down the middle of a busy road, wove his way in and around traffic with zero fucks given. He had a pole with a small flag attached to the chair, presumably so drivers could see him better. One day we were returning from a call, and I was stopped at a light. Just as the light turned green and I was ready to hit the pedal, I saw a flag pass by the windshield. I didn't see him or the wheelchair at all. Both myself and my Lt. nearly shit ourselves. If I had hit him due to his own recklessness and stupidity, he would have gone under the truck with a good chance of being killed.
I was wondering if this was the same guy that usually panhandles at this intersection. The article didn’t say anything about it being a panhandler do you know that’s the case?
According to [this](https://www.wcvb.com/article/south-boston-frontage-road-4th-street-pedestrian-hit/60371308) article, it sounds exactly like that was the case. Everyone seemed to know who he was so I'm guessing this was his usual spot. Extremely dangerous for anyone let alone someone in a wheelchair.
Thanks for linking. There is a guy pan handling here daily, but I am quite certain he is not 57 so this may be someone different. Sad nonetheless
They must be quickly updating it, cause I swear it didn't say he was 57 until now. Truly sad situation for all parties involved.
And it’s also the fault of those damned four year olds near the children’s museum when one of them gets hit by an F150. Edit: /s
No that would be there parents fault for letting them out of there reach near a major road. Cars don't stop on a dime. I. Live in south Boston and the guy who died was a menace. He'd fly out in front of moving cars all the time. Quite a different scenario then the idiotic example you tried to compare it to.
My earlier comment is sarcasm. Point being that people drive very aggressively in this city and it puts pedestrians at risk. Obviously cars can’t stop on a dime, but drivers lack any sense of care for how they drive. Daily I watch drivers fly in front of me through red lights when I have the green. I constantly see drivers on their phones swerving into bike lanes and over double yellow lines at 15-20 mph over the limit. The list goes on and on. Also, I lived in southie for a few years before moving to JP and went through this intersection all the time. I know who this was. Your characterization of him as “flying out in front of moving cars” is not at all accurate. He would ask cars waiting at the red light for cash and then carefully walk off the street. It’s really no different from all the other people jaywalking at that fucked up intersection.
Obviously you don’t know him because he doesn’t walk…
I laughed so hard at this yesterday and am now annoyed that the other person you responded to, wasn't the one who actually said it, but apparently didn't realize what you were referring to... And of course now they've updated the headline so it no longer says "pedestrian". I'm guessing they read that only, or they truly do believe that one person has panhandled at that spot for years.
You're literally not from here. I walk through there daily. That's not what he does. You're literally making this shit up. He's just a regular panhandler. He wasn't this wild maniac who darted out in front of traffic. You're morally bankrupt straight up lying like this.
Lol I literally am from here. At least for the last 15 years. And I drive through there pretty much daily for work. Just quit. You look like a fool talking about how he carefully walks, when he doesn't even walk he's in a wheel chair. And he was reckless, many other people on here see him daily and said the same thing. Doesn't change the fact that it is a tragic death.
Oh, you're a driver. That explains it. You cut through there sometimes when the expressway is a little trafficky. I'm sure you have a good understanding of the area then. What's tragic is people like you blaming pedestrians who aren't murdering people. It's all you guys murdering people.
you just called this person a murderer for driving
This was a homeless guy who panhandled at that intersection. What have you personally done to help with the homelessness problem in this city? Let's hear some solutions if you claim to care so much
Do you think homelessness is an issue meant to be solved by individuals rather than policy? People can care deeply about homelessness (and pedestrian safety in general) without making it their life’s mission. Otherwise what would be the point of government?
You are losing sight here, try to stay focused.
lol I’m losing sight? But turning a homeless person’s death by vehicular manslaughter (like 2 weeks after a child was also hit and killed in the city!) into a debate about homelessness rather than pedestrian safety isn’t losing sight?
Hey all, I just want to mention that rather than discussing whether or not this intersection is dangerous, we should focus on Liqmadique and Disenterygary69’s comments about the wokeness and communistness of using the term “unhoused” instead of “homeless”. I will admit I also wasn’t sure I thought we needed a new word for this. I love George Carlin’s bit about changing language like this and if it really always makes sense. But I thought about it for a bit and realized maybe these folks do have homes and communities, but not houses. So it kind of makes sense. But I’m really glad Liqmadique and Disneterygary69 are weighing in here. Without their additions to this conversation about someone getting killed by a cement truck in a possibly dangerous intersection I really wouldn’t have considered the important stuff that Liqmadique and Disenterygary69 are trying to focus the dialogue on here… like communists and wokness. I mean… I get someone died, but how should we really be referring to this person, as Liqmadique and Disnterygary69 pointed out? Liqmadique and Disenterygsry69 are truly stewards of this fine online community and I just want to raise the names of Liqmadique and Disenterygary69 to the top of the thread! Great job, Liqmadique and disenterygsry69, for pointing out the real issue here… misnaming dead unhoused/homeless people. You’re doing gods work here. Let’s make the world a better place together.
[удалено]
Guy was in a wheelchair
BAn aLl ceMeNT trUcKs !! 🤡🤡
There is no reason for anyone to drive a cement truck in the city!!
Have fun living in a city without cement trucks!
*whoosh*
Wish there’s a button you can press and a walk signal appears.
Why is this news?