Pawtucket man killed in pedestrian accident
PAWTUCKET – A 53-year-old city man, struck by a minivan on Lonsdale Avenue on Wednesday night, died at Rhode Island Hospital early Thursday morning, Pawtucket Police reported.
Police identified the victim as Julio Sanchez, of Harrison Street.
Police responded to the intersection of Lonsdale Avenue and Capital Street near the Fuel N Go gas station in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday for the report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. On scene, officers saw a man who’d suffered “serious injuries,” police said. The man was unconscious at the time with blood on his face, head, and mouth area and he was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital.
Also on scene was a silver minivan with heavy damage to the front end of the driver’s side of the vehicle, as well as a shattered windshield. According to police, the minivan’s
driver remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation. Police conducted a field sobriety test on scene, but Det. Sgt. Christopher E. LeFort said that was “done as a precaution.”
The driver was released with no charges, as LeFort said the preliminary investigation indicated that it did not appear that drugs, alcohol, speed, or distracted driving had any effect on the accident. The speed limit on that stretch of Lonsdale Avenue is 25 miles per hour.
“Based on the initial investigation and interviews, it looks like it was just an accident,” LeFort said. “Speed was not a factor, but that will all come out when State Police does the accident reconstruction.”
“There are no charges at this time, the investigation is still ongoing,” LeFort later added. “Based on the nature of the investigation, charges could be forthcoming, but the operator was released with no charges.”
The victim, who was only identified by Pawtucket Police as a 53-yearold city resident, died at the hospital around 3:30 Thursday morning. His name was being withheld due to next of kin not being located as of Thursday afternoon, police said.
LeFort said on Thursday that the particular section of Lonsdale Avenue where the accident occurred is “dimly lit,” but he could not provide information on whether the pedestrian was wearing reflective or dark-colored clothing.
Pawtucket Police detectives, along with members of the Rhode Island State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit, are continuing to investigate the accident, police said.
It is the second fatal accident in the Blackstone Valley this month. Woonsocket resident Dennis Gilmartin, 67, was hit and killed by a car on Jan. 9 in the city.