The recent death of a young Malden man who was trying to cross Route 128 in Newton while apparently on his way to work has added new urgency to longtime concerns about pedestrian access in the area.
Reishaun Hopkins, 18, was hit by two cars and killed Jan. 3 at around 6:30 a.m. State Police believe he was trying to cut across Route 128 from the MBTA’s Riverside Station to his job at the Honey Dew Donuts concession at a rest area along the busy highway.
Comments
Rest stops on major highways, including this one, were never intended to be accessible by foot. It remains unclear why this young man decided to cross the highway rather than take the Grove Street bridge over Route 128 and enter the rest stop from the access road that runs behind the rest stop (between Grove and Washington Streets). The highway does not provide much of a shortcut and it's at least 100 times riskier than entering from the access road and cutting through the woods behind the rest stop.