Around Town

District Attorney Ryan Shares Tips for Seniors to Avoid Scams

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Seniors should be wary of people targeting them for “crimes of opportunity, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said when she visited the Watertown Senior Center last week to talk about scams.

She warned seniors that scams come in all shapes and sizes, and the criminals can be quite clever and they target older people. “If you live in Massachusetts and you are a senior you are much less likely to be the victim of a crime. You are not out at 3 a.m. and I assume you do not have a lot of friends in a gang,” Ryan said. “But another thing is also true. You are as liable as anyone to be the victim of a crime of opportunity.”

Police/Fire

Blind Pedestrian Who was Struck Crossing Arsenal Street Has Died

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Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced this week that Arthur Bourgoin, 78, of Watertown has died from injuries sustained after being struck by a vehicle in Watertown on Tuesday, March 3. Bourgoin, who was visually impaired, was a volunteer at the Perkins School For The Blind, according to the announcement from the DA’s office. “This victim was attempting to cross the street when he was hit by a vehicle traveling on Arsenal Street,” said District Attorney Ryan. “Nationwide, in recent years, we have made progress in terms of pedestrian safety, but the number of deaths is still significant. The latest figures from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that pedestrian deaths occur primarily in urban areas and account for 14 percent of crash deaths.

Police/Fire

Visually Impaired Pedestrian Struck While Crossing Arsenal Street

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The Middlesex District Attorney’s office is investigating an incident where a vehicle struck a visually-impaired pedestrian who was crossing Arsenal Street Tuesday morning. The pedestrian, who volunteers at the Perkins School For The Blind, was struck near Beechwood Avenue and was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries, according to a press release from District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office. “It is state law that drivers must come to a complete stop for someone in a crosswalk,” Ryan said. “In real driving conditions, what this law means is that people who are driving really should slow down when approaching any crosswalk so that if a pedestrian is trying to cross the street the driver will have plenty of time to safely stop, thus preventing an injury to the pedestrian and preventing other vehicles from rear-ending the vehicle which is stopping.”

The driver of the vehicle which allegedly struck the pedestrian at 6:55 a.m. pulled to the side of the road and then he spoke to police officers. This incident is under investigation by the Watertown Police Department and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.