A 74-year-old North Attleborough man has died hours after a motorcycle struck him on Route 1, according to officials. Frank Yakimowsky was hit at the intersection of E. Washington Street and Rodney Road just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday and was flown to a hospital, where he died hours later.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III announced the pedestrian fatality, according to the Fall River Reporter. Police responding to the scene found Yakimowsky in the middle of the roadway with significant injuries, while a civilian was already tending to him, the outlet reported. He was transported by med flight to Rhode Island Hospital and pronounced dead a few hours after arrival.
The motorcycle operator was also taken to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment, per the same account. Police located the orange Honda CBR motorcycle one block north of the crash site.
Earlier Reports Described Serious Injuries to Both Parties
Before Yakimowsky's death was confirmed, The Sun Chronicle reported that a pedestrian and a motorcyclist were both seriously injured in the Route 1 crash. That initial account also noted the crash prompted what it described as the first field blood transfusion by a new regional medical unit based at Mansfield Fire Department, though it is not established whether that transfusion was given to Yakimowsky or to the motorcyclist.
According to WCVB, officials confirmed Yakimowsky as the man killed and said he lived in North Attleborough. The circumstances that led up to the crash, including how it unfolded, have not been detailed publicly.
Investigation Remains Active
The crash remains under investigation by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, working alongside the North Attleboro Police Department, the Fall River Reporter noted. No further details about the cause of the crash or any potential charges have been released.
This is not the first fatal crash on that stretch of Route 1 in North Attleboro. The Sun Chronicle previously reported that a motorcyclist died after colliding with a car on Route 1 on a Saturday afternoon. That victim, identified as 29-year-old Lamar Anderson of North Attleboro, was taken by ambulance to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Statewide, pedestrian deaths remain a persistent concern on Massachusetts roads. A Mass.gov page notes that 76 pedestrian fatalities were reported across the state in 2021, underscoring the risks pedestrians face even outside major cities.
