Chicopee, Mass. (WWLP) – Fatal pedestrian accidents are on the rise in the Commonwealth, with two in Chicopee this week.
Police said they urged all pedestrians to exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings. 22News has also been told the incident in Chicopee on Wednesday night was a hit and run.
“Speed is the single biggest determinant of whether a person will survive or die in a pedestrian crash,” said Mark Schieldrop of AAA Northeast.
Over the course of three days, two pedestrians were killed by vehicles in Chicopee.
“This year in Chicopee, we’ve had four incidents reported to the state, the only one this year, which is more than we’ve seen in a decade,” Schieldrop said.
A driver was arrested and charged in connection with Monday night’s accident. No arrests were made Wednesday night, and police said it was a hit-and-run. The accidents occurred on Chicopee Street, approximately 3/4 of a mile from each other.
22News spoke to Chicopee police asking if the street is a safety hazard
“It’s a lot of factors. It’s getting darker and darker as the hours go by. It was a deserted area that night. Speed is also a factor across the city.” Chicopee Information Officer Travis Odiorne ) said: “We’re doing our best to crack down on getting more people out there to enforce speeding violations. ”
The two incidents add to the growing number of fatal pedestrian accidents in western Massachusetts. This year alone, 1,800 pedestrian-related crashes have been reported statewide, 86 of which were fatal.
“These numbers are much higher than the historical numbers we’ve seen over the past decade, so the problem is getting worse,” Schilderup said.
“So we’re trying to get a meeting of the heads of multiple departments across the city to see what ideas we can come up with to try to come up with better ways to keep pedestrians safe. But at the end of the day, it also comes down to individual responsibility,” Odiorne said.
22News has also reached out to the Chicopee mayor’s office to resolve the incident…but has yet to hear back.
