The family of 24-year-old Minh-Thi Nguyen, who was struck and killed by a truck driver on Hampshire Street in Cambridge in June 2024, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver who allegedly killed her and the company that employs him.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this week in Middlesex Superior Court, names as defendants Charles P. Blouin, Inc., an HVAC contractor that owned the truck, and one of their employees, Michael Fitts.
Although over 8 months have passed since the killing, the Commonwealth's official investigation still hasn't been finished, and the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office was unable to confirm whether any criminal charges were pending in the case when StreetsblogMASS contacted them on Thursday.
Nguyen was a renowned quantum physicist working at MIT, but was also a beloved colleague who is fondly remembered for supporting her friends and organizing activities on campus.
In a press statement, Hieu Nguyen, Minh-Thi’s father, said that “my heart aches for my daughter, who worked tirelessly her entire life, striving for success, only to meet such an unfair and tragic end. I once imagined the words I would say at her wedding, never thinking I would one day have to speak at her funeral instead."
Justice delayed puts the public at risk
The suit also alleges that Fitts, a New Hampshire resident, "continues to be employed" by Charles P. Blouin, Inc.
StreetsblogMASS reached out to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office to see whether any criminal charges had been filed against Fitts or his employer, but the office was unable to answer our questions.
They were also unable to confirm whether Fitts is still licensed to drive commercial vehicles.
Matthieu Parenteau, a trial attorney working on the Nguyen family's lawsuit, says that it's not uncommon for years to go by before the state finally finishes its investigations into fatal crashes.
"In any significant and fatal crash, the Mass. State Police CARS (Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Section) team is called," Parenteau told StreetsblogMASS. "They do a phenomenal job of investigating cases and producing reports – every report I get is very well done. But the reality is, there’s not enough guys and not enough funding for the CARS reports. And there are so many of these incidents that they get very backlogged."
"You’ll see cases where there’s no resolution for a family for two, two and a half years," added Parenteau.
Driver allegedly violated Nguyen's right-of-way
In the absence of an official investigation, the lawsuit filed this week offers more detailed allegations about how Nguyen died.
According to the lawsuit, on June 21, 2024, at approximately 8:45 a.m., Minh-Thi Nguyen was riding her bicycle southeast toward her lab at MIT, riding in the bike lane on Hampshire Street, which is one of New England's busiest bike commuting routes.
As she approached the intersection of Hampshire Street and Portland Street, a Charles P. Blouin box truck allegedly took a right-hand turn from Hampshire Street onto Portland Street.
Signage at the intersection (see photo above) clearly indicates that turning vehicles are required to yield to people in Hampshire Street's separated bike lane and the adjacent crosswalk, but the truck driver allegedly failed to do so, and ran over Nguyen.
The lawsuit also alleges that the truck’s driver did not stop until a bystander yelled and waved.
Her body was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was declared dead at 9:25 a.m.
