Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for Massachusetts: School Traffic Supervisor was Fatally Injured when Struck by a Motor Vehicle

摘要

On October 21, 2008 a 58-year-old female School Traffic Supervisor (victim) was fatally injured when she was struck by a motor vehicle while assisting a child in crossing a roadway. The victim walked into the roadway crosswalk and signaled for all traffic to stop. As the student stepped into the crosswalk and started crossing, the victim noticed a motor vehicle quickly approaching. At this point, the victim realized that the motor vehicle was not stopping and the child was going to be struck and got the child to stop. The victim was then struck by the motor vehicle. After striking the victim, the operator of the motor vehicle drove a few hundred feet before stopping. Multiple people placed calls for emergency medical services (EMS). EMS, police and fire department personnel arrived within minutes and transported the victim to a local hospital where she died eight days later. The Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, municipalities should: (1) Develop a school route plan that meets the standards set forth in the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD); (2) Ensure that school crosswalks are clearly visible to motorists; (3) Ensure that the design of equipment supplied to workers, such as stop paddles, does not prevent employees from using the equipment; and (4) Ensure that School Traffic Supervisors are provided with refresher training, at a minimum, every three years.