The following statement was released by the Town of Andover on Wednesday, May 10 providing an update on the fatal accident in Elm Square on Tuesday, May 9.
Click here to view as a PDF.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Andover Police Chief Patrick Keefe has announced that the victim in the fatal accident in Elm Square on Tuesday evening has been identified as a 5-year old female from Andover.
As of Wednesday, May 10, it has been confirmed that the child, who was crossing Elm Street in a northbound crosswalk at around 5:15 PM on Tuesday, was struck by a tractor-trailer truck. The tractor-trailer was pulling out from the left-turn lane of westbound Elm Street and headed onto the southbound lane of Main Street.
The truck stopped immediately and the driver remained on site and has been cooperating with police. Several others were in the vicinity with the victim at the time of the accident and were uninjured but taken to Lawrence General Hospital as a precautionary measure.
An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective Unit; the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section; the Massachusetts State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section; the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section; and detectives from the Andover Police Department.
Further information related to the cause of the accident has not been confirmed and will be determined through the ongoing investigation. Details that will be examined in the investigation include the functionality of traffic signals and crosswalk lights, as well as the speed of the track-trailer truck and the conduct of its driver.
“On behalf of the Town of Andover, I express our sincere condolences to the family of the child whose life was tragically cut short,” said Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan. “We share in the grief that has been expressed by members of our community over the past twenty-four hours.”
“The Town of Andover has prioritized improving pedestrian safety across the community in recent years and has worked actively to make our roadways safer for all users through investments in traffic-calming infrastructure, education, and enforcement measures.” Flanagan continued. “Last week, at Andover’s Annual Town Meeting, voters approved funding for a traffic study for the Elm Square intersection. The Town will thoroughly assess this area and act to implement any improvements deemed necessary. This work will begin immediately.”
Chief Keefe stated, “On behalf of the Andover Police Department, I want to extend my condolences and prayers to the family and friends of this young girl. This is an extremely