Hill Estates Couple Killed In Multi-Vehicle Accident Monday Evening In Brighton

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Photo: Location of the accident

A Belmont couple was killed in a multi-vehicle accident near the restaurant they frequented on Soldier Fields Road in Brighton on Monday, June 27.

Massachusetts State Police identified the victims as Donald Houllahan, 85, and his wife Jean, 83, who lived on Vale Road in the Hill Estates.

In a press release, the MSP reported at approximately 7:15 p.m., a 2019 Acura RDX driven by Donald Houllahan was exiting the IHOP restaurant in the area of 1800 Soldiers Field Road in Brighton when it was struck by a 2016 Infiniti Q50 traveling eastbound on Soldiers Field Road, resulting in both vehicles ending up in the westbound lane. No other vehicles were involved, according the release.

The Houllahans “were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. Mr. Houllahan passed away shortly after arriving at a hospital, Ms Houllahan succumbed to her injuries overnight. Three occupants in the Infiniti were transported to an area hospital with serious, but non-life-threating, injuries,” the MSP reported.

The crash remains under investigation by Troopers assigned to State Police-Boston.

The Houllahans had strong roots in Belmont with Jean being a life-long resident and graduate from Belmont High School. The couple raised their three children, Brian, Sue and Mark, on Carleton Road as each graduated from Belmont High. Town records showed they moved back to Belmont from Bedford in 1996 to the townhouse on Vale Road.

Donald Houllahan was well-known throughout town as the owner of Bowtie Limousine Inc. on Common Street, the ”go-to” limo service for proms, wedding and other events in the Boston area.

Funeral services are pending.

Driver Killed In Single-Vehicle Truck Accident on Common Street [Video]

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Photo: An accident on Common Street involving a box truck left the driver dead

The driver of a box truck was killed in an early-morning one-vehicle accident on Common Street on Thursday, March 4.

According to Belmont Fire Capt. Rick Nohl, Belmont Police and Fire arrived at the scene near the World War 1 memorial triangle at Dunbarton Road after receiving a 911 call at 2:50 a.m. They found a white box truck on its side and a 45-year-old man dead inside the severely damaged diver’s compartment.

It is believe the driver lost control of the vehicle and rolled it over while driving on Common Street, said Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac in a press release.

Nohl said his department began a recovery operation which took some time to retrieve the body. By daybreak, two large recovery trucks uprighted the truck, which was fully loaded with produce, before it was taken from the scene around 8:30 a.m.

The accident is under investigation by Belmont Police and the Massachusetts State Police’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit, according to Nohl.

Driver Charged in Fatal Pedestrian/Vehicle Crash In Belmont

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Photo: Sachi Thanawala.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin announced today, Friday, Sept. 21, that Raymond O’Brien, 45, of Medford has been charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in connection with an August 28, fatal collision in Belmont that took the life of Belmont resident Sachi Thanawala.

Based on the preliminary investigation it was determined that the defendant was not in possession of a valid driver’s license and subsequently not permitted to operate a motor vehicle. The defendant had previously been licensed to operate in Massachusetts; however, that license had expired in 2004.

This charge is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, according to the DA’s office.

On Aug. 28, at approximately 8:25 a.m., Belmont Police responded to a report of a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Lexington and Sycamore streets. Upon arrival, authorities located Thanawala, 39, of Sycamore Street, who had sustained serious injuries. Thanawala was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where she died on Aug. 30. O’Brien, who was operating the vehicle, a 2015 Ford Transit Van, remained on scene.

Through their investigation authorities learned that the decedent was crossing the street at the intersection when the defendant allegedly turned left striking her.

This is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Belmont Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section. The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Taylor Makson. 

DA IDs Belmont Resident Killed In Watertown Square Pedestrian/Tow Truck Accident

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Photo: Location in Watertown of the accident that took the life of a Sycamore Street resident.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office has identified a Belmont resident as the person killed when a tow truck ran her down just outside Watertown Square on Wednesday, Sept. 19.

Benita Horner, 68, of Sycamore Street was pronounced dead at the intersection of Galen and Nonantum streets after Watertown Police responded to a reported road rage incident around 11:20 a.m, said the office of Middlesex DA Marian Ryan.

Horner, who moved to Belmont from Quincy in 2010, listed her occupation as a cashier in the town’s 2018 census. 

She is the second Sycamore Street resident to have died in a vehicle-pedestrian accident. Less than a month ago, Sachi Thanawala, 39, was killed after being hit by a commercial van at the intersection of Lexington and Sycamore streets in Belmont.

Horner’s son, Philip Horner, 38, was arrested at the scene after attacking the tow truck driver, Thomas P. Fogerty, 60, of Quincy, stabbing him five times. The driver is hospitalized in critical condition.

Horner, which press reports said lived in Belmont with his mother, was charged today, Thursday, Sept. 20 in Waltham District Court with armed assault with intent to murder, according to the county DA. He is undergoing a 20-day psychological evaluation at a secure facility.

Belmont Police Seek Witnesses to Fatal Pedestrian Crash 

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Photo: Investigators at the scene of the accident Aug. 28.

The Belmont Police Department is asking the public for information about a fatal pedestrian crash at the intersection of Sycamore and Lexington streets in Belmont, according to a press release.

Officers responded to the intersection at approximately 8:25 a.m. on Tuesday Aug. 28. A white 2015 Ford van had struck and killed 39-year-old Sachi Thanawala of Sycamore Street.

We are asking for any persons who witnessed the crash to please come forward. Anyone with information should contact Sgt. Ben Mailhot of the Belmont Police Department at 617-993-2501 or 617-993-2538.

This incident is currently under investigation by the Belmont Police Department, with the assistance of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit.

Services For Crosswalk Victim Today, Wednesday, In Waltham

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Photo: Sachi Gaurang Thanawala

Services for the victim of a pedestrian/vehicle accident in the crosswalk at Sycamore and Lexington will be held today, Wednesday, Sept. 5 in Waltham.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services for Sachi Gaurang Thanawala of Sycamore Street at the Mary Catherine Chapel of Brasco & Sons, 773 Moody St., Waltham, Wednesday, September 5, 2018 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A private cremation service will follow.

Thanawala died last week on Aug. 30 after she was hit heading to work at nearby Belmont Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation by a commercial van crossing from Sycamore onto Lexington on a raised crosswalk the day before.

Sachi was born in Ahmedabad, India and is the eldest of the three; she lived in the USA since 2002. For anyone who knew Sachi, she lived her short life of 39 years wearing her heart on her sleeve, nurturing and giving every step of her way. An occupational therapist by profession, her life was dedicated to service.

“She will be deeply missed by her friends and family alike. Her memories, thoughts and spirit will guide us all in our journey ahead,” said an obituary on the Brasco & Sons website.

She is survived by her husband Aakash Patel, two sons Arnav and Veer, who are 8 and 4 years old respectively. Her other immediate family includes her parents Gaurang and Daksha Thanawala; her parents-in-laws Jayendra and Rita Patel; Sachi’s siblings Dwiti and Varun, and their respective spouses Sidarth and Nandini; and her brother-in-law Aalok and his wife, Sajni. She also had two nieces and a nephew, and countless other family members and close friends.

Resident Dies Of Injuries After Pedestrian/Vehicle Accident

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Photo: Sachi Thanawala (Belmont Manor website)

A 39-year-old Sycamore Street resident who was struck by a van and injured Tuesday walking in a crosswalk a few feet from her house died Thursday, August 30, according to official reports released on Friday.

Sachi Thanawala, 39, died at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where he was taken after being hit by a 2015 Ford Transit commercial van at the intersection of Lexington and Sycamore street at approximately 8:25 a.m.

The mother of two, Thanawala was the Director of Rehabilitation at Belmont Manor since March of 2016. She was an occupational therapist with 12 years of clinical and management experience in Geriatric care, according to Belmont Manor, a nursing and rehabilitation home located on Agassiz Avenue, a few blocks from the accident scene.

The driver of the van has not been charged with any traffic violation or crime in connection with the incident. An investigation by Belmont and State Police is ongoing. Belmont Police said there was no sign of driver impairment at the time of the accident.

Breaking: Woman ‘Seriously Injured’ Hit In Crosswalk At Sycamore and Lexington

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Photo: Police at the scene of a pedestrian/vehicle accident in Belmont, Tuesday, Aug. 28.

An unidentified middle-aged woman was critically injured after being struck by a light commercial van while in the crosswalk at the intersection of Sycamore and Lexington streets Tuesday morning, Aug. 28.

The accident took place at approximately 8:30 a.m. when a late-model white Ford Transit operated by a man struck the woman mid-way into the crossing located in the Waverley neighborhood. Belmont Fire and Police responded quickly to the scene.

Police closed off Sycamore and Lexington for several hours after the accident. A pair of brown shoes, a metallic water bottle, a scarf along with what looked like food was still at the scene by late morning.  

It is not known if the woman is a Belmont resident. 

Some eyewitnesses reported that a small child was with the woman but that could not be confirmed by authorities. 

“All we know now is that she is in critical condition,” said Belmont Police Sgt. Ben Mailhot, adding she was taken to a “local” hospital. 

Mailhot added that there was no sign of driver impairment. He could not say why the accident occurred on a sunny, clear day during the end of the morning commute. 

“There is an on-scene investigation with [Belmont] and State Police at this time. 

Nearby residents contend the street is not as safe as it could be, even after the intersection was raised to slow vehicles along Lexington. 

Traffic Factor in Commuter Train/SUV Accident That Left Woman Seriously Hurt

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Photo: (credit: Anna Meiler/CBSBoston)

Belmont’s increasingly congested streets appear to have played a factor leading to an early morning collision between an SUV and an MBTA commuter train at the intersection of Brighton Street and Blanchard Road that left a women critically injured at 8 a.m., Friday, Dec. 9.

While MBTA Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said at a press conference “we don’t want anyone to jump to conclusions” why the black late model SUV was partially on the tracks, eyewitnesses reported in several media outlets the vehicle was stuck in heavy traffic and could not move when the crossing horns and lights were activated as the inbound train from Fitchburg to Boston’s North Station approached.

Despite the claims of witnesses, Sullivan said “preliminary investigation says that it was not a traffic jam” at the time of the collision. 

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(Anna Meiler/CBSBoston)

Sullivan said a 58-year-old female was operating the vehicle with her 10-year-old son and two brothers, 11 and 6, as passengers.

Unable to move off the tracks, the woman opened the car doors and removed her son and the 10-year-old from the car when the vehicle was struck in the right rear section. The car was violently spun around hitting the woman who sustained her serious injuries.

The six-year-old who was still in the SUV when it was struck was uninjured as were the 11 and 10-year-olds.

Sullivan said the woman was rushed to emergency care to Beth Israel Hospital. The three boys were also taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Belmont Police and Fire reached the accident scene minutes after the incident. Brighton and Blanchard were closed for approximately three hours after the crash.

Morning and afternoon traffic through Belmont has become increasingly congested as commuters bypass the Fresh Pond/Route 2 interchange and elect to cut through Belmont heading to and from the western suburbs.

Mack Truck Takes A Pleasant Street Tumble, Halting AM Traffic Into Center

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Photo: Speed may have been a factor in the one-vehicle accident near Belmont Center on Thursday, Aug. 25.

Late morning traffic came to a halt at one of the busiest town intersection when a dump truck carrying gravel took a tumble sometime before 8:30 a.m. at the corner of Pleasant and Leonard streets, on Thursday, Aug. 25.

No injuries were reported in the one-vehicle accident that shut down the busy intersection for nearly three hours as it took two heavy duty tow trucks to right the rig.

According to an eyewitness, speed was possibly the culprit leading up to the mishap. The Mack truck operated by Ritacco Bros. of Millbury was traveling down the steep slope of Clifton Street attempting to make the right hand turn onto Pleasant Street. Apparently, the truck was going too fast to navigate the corner and tipped onto its driver’s side.

Belmont Fire quickly arrived at the scene – the accident location is one block from the Leonard Street firehouse – and police closed to traffic on Pleasant in both directions.

Waltham Auto Tow arrived and successfully righted the truck at 10:10 a.m. Belmont Public Works’ Highway Division removed the gravel and inspected the roadway. The streets were opened about an hour later.

Belmont Police said any citations for possible traffic violations leading up to the accident would be issued once a formal investigation is completed by the department’s Traffic Division.

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