Posted on 11/18/2023 10:02:27 PM PST by Morgana
The driver of a Sysco truck that struck and killed a five-year-old girl earlier this year will not face criminal charges, prosecutors have announced.
Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the revelation Friday, a little more than six months after Sidney Olson was struck on the streets of small-town Massachusetts.
The family is still pursuing civil charges against the driver, who hit the child as she was walking to an art class with a relative in Andover on May 9.
Relatives said she had the 'walk' signal, but that the driver didn't see the child when he moved forward when his light turned green.
The often busy intersection gives pedestrians the right of way, but Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker on Friday said the girl's death was not the result of a criminal act.
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He said in a statement: 'The investigative findings do not provide sufficient evidence to seek criminal charges against the driver of the tractor-trailer.'
Citing a 'thorough and detailed' police probe that included video from inside the food transport truck, he added: 'The driver was stopped at the intersection.
'As he began to advance forward on the light turning green, he was unable to see Ms. Olson traveling on her scooter in the crosswalk below.
'The driver was not impaired by any substances and immediately came to a controlled stop after the collision.'
The DA's office added that lawmen carried out toxicology screens on the driver and a mechanical inspection of he vehicle, after he immediately stopped to cooperate with cops.
Prosecutors also used several witness interviews when making their decision - after several described a female relative cradling the child's lifeless body.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Anyone who has never driven a big rig should not offer an opinion as to what the driver “should have seen” or should have done”.
Anyone who has never driven a big rig should not offer an opinion as to what the driver “should have seen” or should have done”.
I’ve never driven a big rig but I am parent. Why would any parent leave a five year old unattended in a busy intersection?
Traffic “walk” lights often make no sense at all. About a year ago I was on foot. I had a “walk” light at an 4-way intersection near where I live. I took about three steps into the road and almost got hit by a car turning towards me from my left.
It turned out that he had a green right turn arrow while I had a white walk sign. We both had a sign to go.
I complained about this to my local police department. I might as well have been howling at the moon. Nothing at that intersection has changed.
This sounds like government trying to shove the blame off on one of this tragedy’s pair of victims. I agree.
The driver here is a victim too. Hes a victim because the intersection traffic lights failures was the underlying cause of the accident.
This guy will be haunted by this the rest of his life, as well as being falsely labeled as the reason for the accident. The town govt is passing the buck and using him as a scapegozt for their traffic lights problem.
There is nothing to criticize that I can see. I’ve seen videos where entire cars are hidden in front of the truck and were only seen because the car pulled out finally. Blind spots are huge on a truck.
Very sad that the child wasn’t taught to not do that.
Intersections are DANGEROUS places to cross the road.
I always cross in the middle of the block, as long as it’s in a place where the local gestapo police won’t get you for it. It’s much safer when you have a break in traffic precisely because of the danger of people turning who aren’t paying attention.
That poor truck driver must be horrified and heartbroken.
I believe that student drivers should be required to do a "ride-along" in a big rig for at least a day or two.
Whomever was with her is responsible. If you’re supposed to walk and not ride a bike across an intersection, that should go for scooters, too. Those can put you out of arm’s length of a guardian in a split second. The relative should’ve been holding the 5 year-old’s hand the entire way. A terrible tragedy for all concerned.
Not a traffic light failure...apparently the child (& relative) started crossing on “Walk/green” but took too long and did not clear the intersection/crosswalk before the light changed to green for the truck.
Pedestrians have the right of way
no matter where they happen to be
on any thoroughfare. Flame away,
but I’m inclined to believe this
driver was inattentive of his
surroundings. But as others have
mentioned, the child should have
never been left unattended while
crossing the street. A sad set of
circumstance.
A friend was driving a dump truck on a four lane road, in town. He stopped so someone could cross the road. He was in the left hand lane. Someone in the right hand lane came along, and the dump truck blocked their view of the pedestrian, and the pedestrian’s view of them. He very narrowly missed seeing a fatal incident. He says he no longer stops in those circumstances.
If someone has a blind spot, then they are responsible for undertaking steps (being extra cautious, etc.) to mitigate that weakness.
I guess that, ultimately, vehicles shouldn't be licensed to drive on public roads if they display such grievous design faults.
Regards,
YOU DON’T LET A FIVE YEAR OLD CROSS ANY STREET WITHOUT AN ADULT HOLDING THEIR HAND AND SUPERVISING. PERIOD.
“There is nothing to criticize that I can see. I’ve seen videos where entire cars are hidden in front of the truck and were only seen because the car pulled out finally.”
I agree, technically the driver is in the clear. But a couple good habits for driving a big rig in the city might have made a difference. I always stop well behind the line, a good car length or more especially if in a conventional cab. I make sure the whole pedestrian crossing down to the pavement lines is visible.
And when in the city I switch from over the road “low ride” mode and air up my seat so I sit higher in the cab and can see over the hood better. While not legal technicalities they are good habits that have served me well over the years and prevented something like this.
You should have complained to public works, not the PD.
>> Pedestrians have the right of way no matter where they happen to be on any thoroughfare.
I’m not “flaming” you, but in the legal meaning of “right-of-way” your statement is simply not true.
“I believe that student drivers should be required to do a “ride-along” in a big rig for at least a day or two.”
As should those who criticize police...
I’ve never driven a semi but I have thousands of miles in other big vehicles including motor coaches.
Contrary to popular belief, not every crash is caused by the trucker. Two weeks ago, my son, a professional trucker had some moron in a school bus pull directly in front of him. He swerved his 60,000 pound dump truck to save the children on board putting himself in mortal danger.
He rolled the dump truck and landed on a freeway overpass bridge rail which absolutely demolished the truck.
He walked away with some bumps and bruises. Trucker saves children in school bus did not make the headlines.
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