Published: 09/06/2007
Woman, 66, dragged by pickup truck; Police: Before hitting pedestrian, driver narrowly missed city assessor
By Cate Lecuyer
Staff writer
BEVERLY - A driver who hit a woman in a crosswalk and dragged her under his truck had just barreled through another crosswalk, refusing to stop for a man trying to cross Cabot Street, police said.
Richard Little, 54, of 280 Hale St. will be cited with negligent operation of a motor vehicle and two counts of failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, police Sgt. Joe Shairs said.
Just after 10 a.m. yesterday, Geraldine Meguyer, 66, was crossing Cabot Street in front of the police station when she was hit. At least five witnesses watched as Little's Dodge Ram drove over her, dragging her, and her body was twisted and contorted under the truck, Shairs said.
Meguyer was taken to Beverly Hospital and then flown in a medical helicopter to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
"She's going to be OK," said her sister Kate Maloney. She didn't want to elaborate on Meguyer's injuries but said she was in the intensive care unit.
A hospital spokesman last night said Meguyer was listed in good condition.
"She's talking, she's aware of what happened, and they're going to watch her," she said.
Before hitting Meguyer, Little refused to stop for City Assessor Frank Golden, who was in the crosswalk about 20 feet away in front of City Hall, Shairs said. Golden yelled at Little, who kept going and hit Meguyer, the officer said. Golden could not be reached by phone. Little has been involved in two similar accidents since 2000, Shairs said, and further action may be taken against him. His truck has been impounded as potential crime scene evidence, and Shairs sent a form to the Registry of Motor Vehicles informing them Little is an immediate threat on the road, based on recent and past incidents.
Little's wife, who answered the phone at their home, said they had no comment, as advised by their lawyer.
The state police accident reconstruction team is investigating.
'Born caretaker'
Meguyer, who was born and raised in Beverly, has worked for the Visiting Nurses Association for most of her life, traveling across the North Shore caring for people in their homes, her sister said. She moved to Australia for a couple of years when she was 26 and then returned to Beverly to raise her family. Her two grown daughters were by her hospital bed yesterday evening, Maloney said.
Last year, Meguyer "semi-retired," reducing her hours from full time to Saturdays.
"She loves her work," Maloney said. "She's a born caretaker."
After the incident yesterday, she was initially brought to Beverly Hospital, where she worked as a full-time nurse years ago.
Police blocked off the section of road between Bow and Wallis streets, where the accident occurred. They strung up yellow tape around the scene, with Little's truck in the center. It came to rest about seven feet from the crosswalk, which was marked with dark skid marks.
Little must not have realized he was dragging Meguyer because he didn't stop immediately after hitting her, said Marika Rallis, who was inside her restaurant Marika's Breakfast & Lunch, located just feet from the road. She saw a man on the sidewalk yelling and waving at the Dodge Ram. At first she thought they must know each other, and then she realized the man was screaming at him to stop.
Rallis, who has owned the restaurant for 11 years, said despite the six crosswalks visible up and down Cabot Street from where she stood, drivers refuse to stop for pedestrians on a daily basis.
"I've lost total count of the number of times I've almost been hit," she said.
Next door, Seams owner Harper Dellapiana said she feels like drivers play chicken with her. One time, someone refused to slow down and even honked the horn at her, "like move it, lady," she said.
"People floor it down Cabot Street all the time," she said. "They don't care if it's the elderly or baby carriages."
About a month ago, the two women spoke to police Chief Mark Ray about the problem. They suggested more signs posting the 25 mph speed limit, or at least a sign in the road reminding people to slow down.
Ray said the city had removed previous pedestrian signs in front of the businesses because it's difficult for a large vehicle trying to turn at the intersection. After speaking with Rallis and Dellapiana, however, he did increase enforcement on the crosswalks, he said.
Yesterday, the focus was on crosswalks by schools, because it was the first day for most of them, and not on the Cabot Street crosswalks. Ray said motorists not stopping is a problem, and he is in the process of speaking with the traffic sergeant to see what else can be done.
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops