LYNN — A male cyclist was struck and killed by an Old Neighborhood Foods tractor-trailer at the intersection of Commercial Street and the Lynnway Friday at approximately 11 a.m.
Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Martin Cooke said the accident occurred right before the traffic light at the Commercial Street intersection, heading northbound.
“It is a fatal accident under investigation right now. It looks like it happened below the intersection,” Cooke said. “We haven’t made public who it is yet, and we haven’t notified any next of kin.”
One witness, who asked not to be identified, said she encountered the scene around 10:55 a.m., before emergency responders had fully arrived.
“I was taking a left at the light to go into Lynn,” she said. “Traffic was trying to navigate around the incident. I was there before the first police car pulled in.”
The witness described the aftermath as “gruesome” and said she felt sympathy for everyone involved.
“I can’t imagine what happened,” she said. “I’m sorry for all involved. That road is so dangerous. Bikes should not be allowed on the Lynnway.”
The office of Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker confirmed that “the operator of the tractor-trailer stayed on the scene and cooperated with authorities.”
A similar tractor-trailer accident occurred in January when a man was struck and killed at the same intersection. Today, a memorial hangs from the traffic light post in honor of the life lost.
Paul Addonizio was killed in the early morning hours on Jan. 19 during a heavy snowfall. His death is still under investigation.
His daughter, Lindsey Addonizio, commented on Friday’s fatality and the dangers of the Lynnway.
“I think they should make it safer, and it’s scary to hear people are getting killed,” she said.
Traffic was impacted on Friday for hours following the incident, and officers redirected traffic on the Lynnway and Commercial Street.
The incident remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Troop A Detectives, Crime Scene Services Section, State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
