LYNN — An 80-year-old man was struck by an 18-wheeler truck Tuesday afternoon while he was attempting to cross the road at the intersection of Tremont and Market streets, the Police and Fire departments said.
“The truck was at a red light, went to make a turn and didn’t see the pedestrian,” said District Fire Chief Joseph Zukas. “(I’m) not sure if the pedestrian was in a crosswalk or near. He was hit by this 18-wheeler.”
The man had some facial injuries and was bleeding from the crash, Zukas said. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, he said. Police said he was taken to MGH as a precaution, because his blood pressure was elevated.
The crash occurred at approximately 4 p.m. The man told first responders he had pushed the pedestrian button at the crosswalk, Zukas said.
“He was crossing the street,” said Patrick J. Smith, a witness who described himself as a close friend of the victim. “There’s a manhole cover and I seen him putting his cane up and down because the truck was coming, and all of a sudden, I see a truck hit him. I asked the driver, you don’t see him? He said, ‘I’m up too high.’ I said, well, they’ve got to do something about this.”
However, the truck driver told police that he was stopped at a red light at the intersection, and the pedestrian started to slowly “accelerate through” as the light turned green, according to the police report.
“As he did, he did not realize there was a pedestrian crossing the street in front of him,” the police report said. “The front end of the truck is so large and high off the ground, he could not see the pedestrian that was walking directly in front of his vehicle. (The) trucker said he stopped immediately when he realized.”
According to the report, a witness told a responding police officer that the pedestrian was crossing the street in the crosswalk, and was headed toward Agora Plaza, which is next to Brothers Deli. The witness said that while the pedestrian was in the middle of the crosswalk, the truck started to proceed through the intersection when the light turned green, “striking the pedestrian” and “causing him to fall to the ground,” the report said.
The victim is a well-known customer of Brothers Deli, and was dining there prior to the crash on Tuesday, according to the owner, George Markos. The man, who everyone calls “Uncle Lou,” has practically lived at the deli for the past 25 years, said Markos, and is like family.
The nickname came about by accident, Markos said. He said nobody knew the man’s name when he started coming to Brothers Deli, and he had heard someone call the man “Lou.” His real name is Anthony, or Tony for short, two of his friends on scene told The Item.
“He never corrected us,” said Markos. “We learned his real name, but we liked ‘Uncle Lou’ better.”
Markos said the crash was sad and scary. He had never seen anyone get hit by a vehicle before, and rushed out to help upon hearing what had happened. It was particularly scary, given the man’s age, he said.
The man was alert and speaking clearly when Markos got there, he said, adding that his friend recognized him right away and spoke to him.
Two women, June Tracy, 69, and Rosemary Shamshak, 75, who described themselves as longtime friends of the victim, were also dining at Brothers Deli prior to the crash.
“(We) saw him before it happened,” said Tracy. “George came running out. George said he got hit by a truck.”
Markos added: “He was family — more family than a friend. He still is.”
