A resident of a group home for mentally challenged individuals was killed in an alleged hit-and-run accident on Balm of Life Spring Road Sunday evening. Authorities say that the 55-year-old man was killed as he walked along the road around 7:45 p.m. The driver of the vehicle that struck and killed the pedestrian did not remain at the scene after the fatal pedestrian accident. Authorities say that there is no sidewalk along the road where the tragic event occurred.
News of the fatal accident spread. Authorities say that a truck driver en route to Maine heard news reports about the Uxbridge, Massachusetts accident and contacted authorities. The 44-year-old truck driver told investigators that as he travelled through Uxbridge, he thought that he had struck a pedestrian, according to investigators.
The truck driver, a Blackstone, Massachusetts, man says that he pulled over, but did not see the victim after what he thought was an accident—he resumed his trip to Maine, according to a report in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Officials from the group home where the accident victim resided say that the man typically took walks in the evening. An investigation into the fatal accident remains open. No charges have been filed.
Any pedestrian accident can involve tremendous risk of personal injury or death. A car, motorcycle or truck need not be traveling at high speed to cause significant injuries to an unprotected walker. When a pedestrian is struck by an 18-wheeler, the potential risk of fatal injury may seem apparent to people in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Whether a motor vehicle driver is in a passenger vehicle or commercial truck, the driver generally has a duty to drive with due care for personal protection as well as the protection of others. However, lawyers and investigators generally look at many details in analyzing whether or not an accident involves negligence.
