LYNN — A 55-year-old woman died after she fell off of a moped and was run over by a 10-wheel dump truck near the intersection of Washington Street and Western Avenue Tuesday morning, police said.
The woman was driving the moped, with her boyfriend on the back, when the truck hit them at around 9:20 a.m., which caused them both to fall off onto the street.
Both occupants of the moped were sent to Salem Hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition, police said.
Washington Street was blocked off from Western Avenue to the traffic light on Boston Street until around noon as the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and Lynn Police examined the scene.
A Lynn man at the scene said he was on his way to Stop & Shop when he heard the moped crash into the truck, which was followed by screams and people running toward the accident.
“When you see something like that it just makes your stomach turn,” the man said. “It’s tragic.”
He said he always sees people driving mopeds around the city while trying to weave in and out of cars, lifting up the handle bars and revving the gas.
The wife of the driver of the dump truck said that her husband told her the moped came up to the right side of his truck while he was taking a right turn onto Washington Street and he couldn’t see it.
Another woman on scene said she didn’t see the collision, but walked over when she saw all of the police cars and caution tape.
“It’s so sad to hear such a tragedy with everything that’s going on in the world right now,” the woman said. “Someone dying and in a way like this is something you never want to happen.”
G/J Towing came to the scene to tow the moped and drive the dump truck to a location requested by police. The driver of the dump truck — a John L. DeFranzo and Son LLC. vehicle — was taken home by his wife.
Lynn Police Lt. Michael Kmiec said no charges have been filed against the truck driver, whom he declined to identify, at this point in the investigation.
