Molly got hit on Beacon Street

Longtime friend of NS&S Molly Schaeffer was hit last night on Beacon Street. Molly was heading east at about 6:15 PM (we frequently pass going in opposite directions on our rides home), when she was clipped by a driver. Fortunately, she wasn't hit harder. She stayed on her bike. But, the car continued on.

Molly called 911 and reported the license number. According to her, the police located the driver, an 81-year-old.

The driver hit Molly at the top of the hill heading towards BC, just west of Beacon Hammond Street. This is a problematic section as the road narrows and sight lines are not great. There are striped shoulders, but in this section the shoulder is only a couple of feet wide.

To add insult to injury, this is the second time Molly's been the victim of a hit-and-run driver. She had been previously hit on Beacon Street going west just west of Langley Road.

Molly is exactly the kind of person who needs to be safely accommodated on Newton streets. She's no spandex-clad young'un. She's a feisty grandmother who commutes year-round to Wellesley on principle: to live a more environmentally conscious life. She rides with front and back lights night and day. She wears a helmet and bright yellow clothing. She follows the rules of the road. And, she rides at an admirable, but stately pace.

I'm just glad that it was not a more serious crash.