WORCESTER -Local and state officials gathered with residents on the steps of the First Unitarian Church, at 90 Main Street, on Sunday to recognize lives lost to motor vehicles as part of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Rev. Sarah Stewart led the group in a moment of silence for the deceased.
Since 2019, vehicle crashes account for 43 fatalities in the city of Worcester, according to organizers. Speakers noted that Candice Asare-Yeboah, a five-year-old girl hit by SUV in Worcester last year while crossing a pedestrian crosswalk on Strafford street with her mother, is not included in that data due to how long it took for her to succumb to her injuries.
Nearly 50 people held flowers in honor of the lives lost. “Every flower someone here is carrying represents a victim of a traffic accident,” Said Alex Salcedo of Massbike. “Every flower is a family changed forever.”
Local officials in attendance included District Attorney Joe Early Jr., District 5 City Councilors Etel Haxhiaj and City Councilor At-Large Khrystian King. “We cannot afford one more death on our streets. I’m saying this just not as a public servant but a mother.” Haxhiaj told the crowd.
Also in attendance was Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, who spoke at length about plans to increase the penalty and enforcement of traffic violations for Massachusetts drivers. “The Day of Remembrance has always been important to me and my family” said Tibbits-Nutt.”Just this Friday, we had a fatality on Route 24 when a motorist hit a pedestrian trying to cross the road and didn’t even know.”
Walkbike Worcester and Massbike helped organize the event. They announced during the event their participation in the Vision Zero Initiative, which aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries using strategic methods pioneered in European cities.
