Bicyclist killed in bus accident


Gazette Photo by Lori DeSantis “Ghost Bike”—This shrine was created on the corner of Huntington Avenue amd S. Huntington Avenue to honor Eric Hunt, 22, of Mission Hill, who was kiled in a bicycle accident with a Route 39 bus on April 7.

A 22-year-old Mission Hill resident, Eric Michael Hunt, was killed in an accident involving a Route 39 MBTA bus on the Mission Hill/Jamaica Plain border on April 7.

According MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo, Hunt was killed just east (heading downtown) of the S. Huntington Avenue intersection while trying to pass a Route 39 bus on the left, lost control and fell under the bus.

The name of the 29-year-old bus driver, who was hospitalized for stress, was not released. The exact accident cause is unknown and is under investigation. “Transit Police and Boston Police continue to investigate,” said Pesaturo. “The bus operator, who has a good record with no safety or driving violations, is out of service pending the completion of the investigation.” An informal shrine to Hunt, featuring a white bicycle known as the “ghost bike,” is now on the sidewalk near the accident scene.

Riding on a Route 39 bus past the crash site April 21, a Gazette reporter witnessed an impromptu memorial for the slain bicyclist. The bus driver directed passengers’ attention to the ghost bike and recounted the circumstances of the fatal collision to her somber audience, including that the bus driver involved in the collision is receiving counseling.

Gazette Staff

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *