The accident took place on the afternoon of April 3 and involved a bicycle and a sanitation truck. The accident occurred after the driver of the sanitation truck struck the bicyclist and proceeded to leave the accident. Emergency personnel arrived on the scene of the accident soon after it took place and pronounced the victim deceased.
The driver of the sanitation truck told police that, after turning right onto another street, he thought he hit a pothole, not the bicyclist. This was apparently his reasoning for leaving the scene of the accident. The driver of the truck was not injured in the accident, and the accident is still under investigation by the Boston Police Department.
Regardless of whether the driver of the sanitation truck is criminally convicted for his involvement in the fatal car accident, the family of the victim have the right to seek monetary relief through the pursuit of a wrongful death lawsuit in a Massachusetts civil court. This claim would likely be brought against the trucker and the trucker's employer. Any monetary judgment ultimately secured could be used by the family to pay for the victim's final expenses. Compensation could allow the family to focus on coming to terms with their tragic loss.
Source: Boston.com, "Bicyclist killed in Charlestown", Joseph Dussault, Doug Saffir and Chris Caesar, April 3, 2014
