Pedestrian struck, killed by dump truck in Dorchester

Officials investigated a fatal accident on Dorchester Avenue in which a person was struck by a dump truck.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff/Globe Staff

The body of a person who was struck and killed lay in a crosswalk, covered by a tarpaulin, underneath a Mack dump truck on Dorchester Avenue late Sunday morning. A large shovel lay in the street just inches away.

Police responded to the report at 11:18 a.m. in Dorchester near Harbor View Street and determined that the victim was dead, said Officer Stephen McNulty, a spokesman for the Boston police.

Residents said police and EMTs were on the scene moments after the crash and scrambled underneath the truck to reach the victim.

“He was under the truck with the left foot tangled,” said Luis Rodriguez, a barber at El Nuevo Estilo on Dorchester Avenue, just feet from the crash.

“That’s sad,’’ Rodriguez said. “I think the guy was shoveling somewhere.”

Firefighters, the medical examiner, and other officials worked at the scene, and a stretch of Dorchester Avenue on both sides of Savin Hill’s Ryan Playground was closed to traffic for several hours.

The victim appeared to be a man, but police said they could not yet release details, citing the ongoing investigation. “It’s being investigated as a fatal motor vehicle accident, unfortunately,” McNulty said.

Police interviewed the driver and witnesses, he said.

Representatives for Salvucci Engineering, whose company name was on the side of the truck, did not immediately return calls for comment Sunday night.

Nearly 30 minutes after the victim’s body was removed from underneath the truck, a man arrived at the scene with a woman, and shouted through tears, “That was my father!”

After speaking with an officer, the man broke down in tears and declined comment.

The death left residents in the Savin Hill neighborhood stunned — several of whom recalled their own near fatal experiences at the same crosswalk, which they said has long been dangerous.

Warren Griffin said he was crossing the street recently when a driver making a right turn nearly struck him.

“I had to get out of the way,” Griffin said. “This intersection is crazy.”

Residents said drivers often speed through Dorchester Avenue and fail to stop for pedestrians. The crosswalk where the victim was killed Sunday does not have a traffic light or a stop sign.

Tracy Scott, 40, who lives on Harbor View Street, said her mother was struck by a truck as she crossed the street with her niece about six years ago.

“She went flying [and] everybody thought she was dead,” Scott said.

Scott said just four months ago she saw a vehicle hit a man as he walked across the street.

Scott said there should be a stop sign or a traffic light at the crosswalk to prevent any other crashes.

“Nobody is going to stop for you,” she said. “It’s horrific. You might as well walk through the middle of the road and hope for the best. It’s really dangerous.”