Misty Bassi, 33, was killed while riding her bicycle in Amherst around 10:30 a.m. on May 25. The motorist fled the scene, but police caught them. The punishment for someone who kills a person with their car is usually much weaker than when a gun is used. Bassi was a janitor at UMass. The driver of the vehicle that killed Bassi was Parvin Niroomand.
On June 9, the Brattleboro Reformer newspaper reported that an SUV hit Peter Abell of Brattleboro while he was riding his bicycle. He was on Route 30, near the Newfane, Vermont town common. State police said Abell was hit by a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban driven by a man from Newfane at about 3 p.m. The police have the driver's name. Police said Abell’s head struck the windshield of the vehicle. Abell was taken by helicopter to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H.
Annually, almost 700 people are killed by cars while riding their bikes nationwide. Many more are seriously injured.
In Dummerston, Vermont, just outside Brattleboro in April, Bradford Greene was riding his bike down Route 5 when he was hit from behind by a vehicle when it crossed over the white line. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
David Watson is director of www.massbike.org He told the Post, "It's a tragedy whenever a cyclist is hit. We support raising the gas tax to pay for better public transit and bike lanes, like they have in Europe. We call on the mayors of Northampton, Boston, and other cities to do what New York City mayor Bloomberg just did and close major downtown streets to cars."
For more info: In Massachusetts www.massbike.org
In Vermont www.vtbikeped.org
In New Hampshire www.bwanh.org
On June 8, a 10-year-old boy
On June 8, a 10-year-old boy in South Hadley, Mass., near Amherst, was hit by a car while riding his bike. According to police, at 6:30 p.m., Korey Champagne was riding his bike with a friend near Buttery Brook Park on School Street. He was transported by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center, police said, and the extent of his injuries were unknown.
We need to encourage cyclists
Thanks for posting this tragic but important news. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, 700 cyclists die needlessly every year in America. We need to protect these cyclists and encourage people to get out of their cars and cycle more.
Obesity is one of the largest epidemics facing America and one of the main reasons is that people don't walk or bike anymore.
Cyclists are staying healthy and helping save the environment and should be protected and encouraged, not killed by careless drivers.
Please post more stories about this and how America can reform transportation and bring back rural, city and small-town living instead of building more highways, suburbs and strip malls.
Jason Negha
Greenfield, MA
About 50 people attended the
About 50 people attended the funeral in Amherst on May 31, according to the Hampshire Gazette newspaper. Bassi grew up in Connecticut.
Misty worked at UMass Amherst
Misty worked at UMass Amherst for the past 11 years. She recently graduated from UMass's program for part-time undergraduate students.
Robert Holub
Amherst, Mass.
This is a very important
This is a very important issue - thanks for sharing the story.
Maria Echevarria
Waitsfield, Vermont
Post new comment