NEWBURYPORT — Although last month’s fatal pedestrian crash near City Hall remains under investigation by local and state police, Newburyport police Lt. Matthew Simons on Monday said he’s not anticipating any charges against the driver.
First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist Church community service minister Helen Murgida was struck and killed by a Ford F-150 pickup truck on Feb. 28 near the Green and Pleasant streets intersection. The 81-year-old was on her way to deliver the benediction at Mayor Sean Reardon’s State of the City address at City Hall when the crash occurred.
Former Mayor Donna Holaday said she was near the accident when it happened and saw the driver of the truck jump out of his vehicle shaking from head to toe. Holaday said she then got under the truck with Murgida and held the unconscious woman’s hand, telling her to hang on.
“I told her to squeeze my hand if she could hear me,” Holaday said. “Two other women got under the truck and offered words of encouragement and then (former Essex County Sheriff) Frank Cousins pulled me out when the first responders arrived.”
PEG Center for Art and Activism owner Paula Estey was also near the scene when it happened.
“I was on the City Hall side of the intersection. I saw the truck and heard the impact. But I didn’t realize it was a person,” Estey said. “I loved Helen and I feel for the driver.”
State Police that evening began reconstructing the accident scene, a process that continued early last week, according to Simons.
The intersection at Green and Pleasant streets features a crosswalk with a blinking yellow light that can be switched over to solid red at the press of a button.
It remains unclear if the red light was engaged at the time of the crash.
“I don’t know what else we can do with that crosswalk,” Reardon said. “But I think we will look at it once we have a better idea of what happened there.”
Crash investigations can take time, Simons said, pointing out that State Police recently released the report on the fatal crash that killed Mercy Kimani in June.
Witnesses say the 41-year-old local woman was walking on the eastbound side of the road in the area of Low Street near Port Plaza on June 24 when she was struck by a car and later pronounced dead.
Simons said the State Police investigation revealed the vehicle that hit Kimani didn’t have enough time or distance to avoid the collision with the woman, who was walking in the middle of the road.
“The reconstruction of the accident led us to believe the vehicle was traveling at an appropriate speed for that street, prior to the collision,” he said.
Simons said there will be no forthcoming charges.
“This remains a tragic incident in the city and our condolences and thoughts go out to all of those involved, including the victim’s family, as well as the motor vehicle operator, whose life has been altered as well,” he said.
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.