Police chief responds to MV accident inquiries

Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty confirmed her involvement in a February 16 motor vehicle accident that injured a pedestrian in Wrentham and voiced her “sincere and continued concern” for the victim while acknowledging she could have been more forthcoming in issuing a public disclosure after details of the crash surfaced in media reports earlier this week.

Chief Helena Rafferty

In a statement issued to news outlets on Monday, Rafferty detailed the circumstances of the crash and her subsequent response, which is consistent with a report filed by the Wrentham Police Department. “This was an unfortunate accident,” she stated. “Upon further reflection and considering the amount of attention that has been focused on Canton, I should have issued a statement sooner.”

The accident was first reported on Sunday evening by Aidan Kearney, operator of the TB Daily News Blog and author of the long-running “Canton Cover-Up” series that focuses on the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe and the prosecution of O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Read, who is due to be tried this month on murder charges. While Kearney has alleged that Read is innocent and is being framed by members of law enforcement, he has also come under fire for his activist and highly speculative brand of journalism and has been indicted on a slew of witness intimidation charges in connection with the Read case. Earlier this year, Kearney was jailed for two months after having his bail revoked following an alleged domestic dispute, but he has largely continued with his aggressive reporting on the case since being released on personal recognizance in late February.

On Sunday, Kearney, citing an anonymous source, published a blog post containing rumored details of the February 16 accident, including the identity of the victim. The following day, he shared information obtained from the Wrentham PD incident report, touching off a flood of media inquiries that Rafferty then addressed in her statement.

According to Rafferty, the accident occurred while she was driving home in her town-owned vehicle and attempted to make a left-hand turn at the intersection of South and Creek streets in Wrentham.

“As I proceeded to make the left turn onto Creek Street, the vehicle lights caught the reflective vest of a person in the crosswalk,” she stated. “I immediately applied my brakes, but unfortunately, the car made contact with him, knocking him to the ground. I immediately exited my vehicle to render first aid and called 911. I remained on scene with [the victim] until the Wrentham Police and Fire departments responded.”

Rafferty said she requested a breathalyzer test at the scene, which the police report confirmed showed a blood alcohol level of 0.0 percent. She was issued a civil citation for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk, which Rafferty said she has since paid.

Rafferty said her vehicle “sustained no damage, with the exception of a scuff mark on the right front corner.” She said the vehicle did not need to be towed, and upon clearing the scene, she “immediately notified Canton officials as to what happened.”

According to the incident report, the victim, who was identified as Michael Barry, age 67, was “walking with a cane on South Street wearing a reflective yellow vest and had just entered the roadway” when he was struck.

A responding officer stated in his report that he observed the area of the crash to be “poorly lit with only one fluorescent light.” An eyewitness also approached officers at the scene and stated that Rafferty was “not operating erratically before the crash.”

The victim, who Rafferty said was “alert and conscious” at the scene, was subsequently transported to Rhode Island Hospital after suffering an abrasion to his head and complaining of left knee pain.

In an interview with Boston 25 News on Monday, the victim’s attorney, Seth Jacobs, said his client suffered multiple fractures and underwent knee surgery.

Jacobs told Boston 25 News that Barry has been in touch with the insurance company for the town of Canton but has not yet decided whether to will file a lawsuit.

According to a report in the Boston Globe, Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath stated that no additional charges will be filed and the investigation had been “closed.”

The Wrentham chief said the officers on scene all followed department protocol — refuting an insinuation made by Kearney that a call to McGrath from an officer was an example of Rafferty receiving “special treatment and consideration.”

“I was contacted while officers were on scene as that is standard practice for all potentially serious incidents,” McGrath told the Globe. “No special assistance was provided to the Canton police chief by me or my officers. The accident was handled as any other accident would’ve been handled.”

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Posted by Jay Turner on Apr 5 2024. Filed under News, Police & Fire. Both comments and pings are currently closed.