The City of Boston has been targeting “major” safety upgrades at the Fort Point intersection where a 4-year-old girl was struck and killed by a pickup truck Sunday evening, and is looking into whether short-term improvements are possible.
Boston Police are still investigating the incident, which occurred shortly after 5 p.m. at the intersection of Congress and Sleeper Streets, near the Boston Children’s Museum in the Seaport, Sgt. Det. John Boyle said Monday.
The child was with family at the time, but it’s unclear why she was in the street. The driver of the Ford F-150 pickup truck that struck her remained on scene, and no charges or citations have been filed, nor have there been any arrests made, according to Boyle and the police report.
Neither the victim nor driver have been identified. Officers found the child lying on Sleeper Street. The girl was taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the police report states.
Mayor Michelle Wu described the situation as “heartbreaking” and “unimaginable,” and one that underscores the importance of having “streets that are safe,” while speaking with reporters after an unrelated Monday event.
A spokesperson for the Boston Transportation Department said the city has been working with the Fort Point community in South Boston to advance a major redesign of Congress Street, Sleeper Street and A Street, which it plans to put out to bid in the fall.
Construction would begin next year, but the Transportation Department is assessing the area to determine what additional safety improvements can be made in the short term, the spokesperson said.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred yesterday,” the BTD spokesperson said. “Improving safety for pedestrians is our top priority. Across the city, we invest in safety interventions to create safer crossings, safer turns, and safer speeds such as crosswalk striping, daylighting intersections, and signage.
“We believe that one fatality is too many and are committed to building roadways that are safer for everyone, especially our most vulnerable,” the spokesperson said.
Carole Charnow, president and CEO of the Boston Children’s Museum, said she was aware of the planned city project, but called for immediate action to address safety concerns at the intersection of Congress and Sleeper Street, where she said there continue to be issues that are “related to speed and sight lines.”
“Boston Children’s Museum is devastated by this tragedy and our hearts go out to the family of the little girl,” Charnow said in a statement. “While we know that there are plans to permanently address this issue, we hope that something can be done right away to ensure pedestrian safety.”
Charnow and other museum representatives are planning to attend a previously scheduled Fort Point Neighborhood Association meeting Tuesday “to learn more about the plans to immediately address our safety concerns,” she said.
City Councilor Ed Flynn, who represents the area, said the entire community was mourning the “loss of the young girl.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim, her family, and all impacted by this tragic loss,” Flynn said in a statement. “Pedestrian safety continues to be one of the top issues we face in the City of Boston.”
He said he plans to continue to advocate for traffic calming infrastructure, such as speed humps, raised crosswalks and pedestrian islands with rapid flash beacons, as well as placement on high traffic roads, main streets, and bus routes.
A report issued by walkBoston, now known as walkMassachusetts, last March showed at least 101 pedestrians died in traffic crashes in Massachusetts in 2022. Figures for last year have not been released.
