Skip to Content
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Log In
Vision Zero

Cement Truck Driver Kills Man In Wheelchair In Boston’s South End

Several cars speed through a wide multi-lane intersection underneath a concrete highway viaduct. On the left edge of the photo are signs for I-90 and I-93. On the right edge, a woman crosses several lanes of traffic in a crosswalk.

Traveler Street at its intersection with the I-93 northbound frontage road in Boston’s South End. On the other side of the intersection is the Broadway viaduct that leads to South Boston.

On Tuesday morning, an as-yet-unidentified driver of a Boston Sand and Gravel cement truck drove over and killed Fernando R. Pizarro of Boston near the intersection of Traveler Street and the I-93 Northbound Frontage Road in South Boston.

According to Massachusetts State Police, the killing occurred around 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, and Pizarro, aged 57, was declared dead at the scene.

After a preliminary investigation, police speculate that Mr. Pizarro was wheeling through the intersection of Traveler Street and Frontage Road just before the crash, and was located in front of the cement truck as traffic began to move.

Police have not identified the perpetrator, but described him as a 53-year-old Medford man. Police screened the suspect for drug or alcohol use, but allege that they found no evidence of impairment.

The investigation is ongoing.

Both the Frontage Road and Traveler Street have crosswalks at this intersection, but they traverse multiple lanes of traffic.

Frontage Road is five lanes wide, with a narrow refuge island in the middle, and Traveler Street has four vehicular lanes, plus a bike lane that is intermittently protected with flexible-post bollards.

Wheelchair-accessible ramps at the ends of both crosswalks are frequently blocked by vehicles attempting to make right turns at the red light.

According to the MassDOT IMPACT crash database, there have been at least 50 crashes at this intersection since the beginning of 2019, including 14 crashes that injured at least one victim.

The intersection is also part of the South Bay Harbor Trail route between the Seaport and Roxbury.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Massachusetts

Photos: Bike to Work Day 2025

Hundreds of commuters – and quite a few people who joined the ride just for fun – joined convoys from all around the region to converge at City Hall Plaza before the workday began Friday morning.

May 16, 2025

Chamber of Commerce Lobbies Mass. Senate to Fund the MBTA

"Even the significant resources proposed by the Governor are below the MBTA’s actual need," says Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce president James Rooney.

May 15, 2025

Western Mass. Amtrak Expansions Are Flush With Funding, But New Routes Won’t Debut ‘Til 2030s

Years of work remain before new Amtrak routes start rolling through Springfield to connect Boston, Albany, and New Haven.

May 14, 2025

SUV Driver Kills Priest on Route 138 in Milton

A 2018 study warned of "poor safety conditions" on the state roadway where a driver killed Father James B. Doran last week.

May 12, 2025
See all posts