(Western Mass News – Paris Dunford) A hit and run investigation is unfolding in Holyoke, after a bicyclist was hit by a car Thursday night. This is the latest in a string of recent crashes involving pedestrians and bike riders in western Mass., and it’s becoming a growing concern for legislators. They hope a new law that went into effect this week will help.
A bicyclist was injured in a hit and run crash in Holyoke Thursday night, another serious crash. However, western Mass. legislators are hopeful their new road safety law will help moving forward. On Thursday, Holyoke Police and Fire responded to the intersection of Cabot and Canal Street.
They found a man, seriously injured in the street, and immediately provided aid. According to police, he was a bicyclist who was hit by a car a little before 8 p.m. He was taken to the hospital and police said the driver of the car left the scene. This crash adds to a long list of fatal, or serious crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists, across western Mass.
“It’s awful. People need to slow down. People need to pay attention. It’s speed. It’s distracted driving. These are all families that have now lost a loved one,” Senator John Velis.
State Senator John Velis said that’s why he and his colleagues voted to pass a road safety bill, signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker, right before he left office this week. The new law does a number of things, including the requirement that drivers give four feet of space between them, and a bicyclist or pedestrian, when they are passing them on the roads.
“We know that there’s a lot of accidents where someone could be walking, on a bike, or out on a jog and they hit the person who’s out there. So requiring four feet between the vehicle and the pedestrian,” Velis said.
It also provides city leaders the opportunity to apply for speed limit changes on state roads, something that wasn’t possibly before.
“It creates a process where the municipality can get from the state, the permission to set that speed limit. And I’m convinced a big part of this is just slowing people down,” said Velis.
Senator Velis is hopeful this law will help to slow down the trend of serious or even fatal crashes across the state.
“How many people need to die before people realize, I got to stop doing this,” he said.
That new law has already gone into effect, it began this week. Therefore if you are passing by someone riding a bike or scooter, or just walking, you are required to give four feet of space between you and them.