A driver was left injured Thursday night after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Gallivan Boulevard and Hilltop Street in Dorchester, and the car that caused it never stuck around. Massachusetts State Police troopers responded to the scene just before 8:30 p.m. after reports of a crash, and a preliminary investigation found that one of the two vehicles involved had fled before officers could identify the driver.
According to Boston 25 News, the operator of the other vehicle was injured in the crash. Authorities are now searching for the vehicle that fled, and the case remains under investigation, the outlet reports.
A separate post on the public safety alert platform Citizen flagged a car crash with injuries at 748 Gallivan Boulevard on the night of October 29, logged at 8:14 p.m., and listed Engine 20 and Ladder 6 as units connected to the motor vehicle accident.
What Massachusetts Law Requires After a Crash
Under state law, a driver involved in a crash that causes injury, death, or more than $1,000 in property damage is required to report it in writing to the Registry of Motor Vehicles within five days, with a copy sent to the police department that has jurisdiction over the crash location, according to the Massachusetts Legislature. The same statute specifies that local police must accept a report from a driver or owner whose vehicle was damaged by someone who unlawfully left the scene, which is the exact situation investigators are now working to untangle on Gallivan Boulevard.
A Corridor With a History of Crashes
This isn't the first time Gallivan Boulevard has seen a serious multi-vehicle collision. In April 2021, three people were injured and a vehicle was destroyed in a crash on the same roadway, with the Boston Fire Department using the Jaws of Life to extricate them before Boston EMS transported all three to area hospitals, per NBC Boston.
A regional transportation study has also flagged safety concerns along the corridor. The study, conducted by the Central Transportation Planning Staff, found that westbound Gallivan Boulevard traffic turning left onto Dorchester Avenue appears to experience a high number of angle and rear-end crashes, according to CTPS.
No details on the fleeing vehicle's description or the injured driver's condition have been released, and police have not indicated whether charges have been filed. The crash remains under investigation, and anyone with information is presumably expected to come forward as authorities continue searching for the vehicle that left the scene.
