Published Thursday, October 15, 2026. This post summarizes public news reports and is general information, not legal advice.
What Happened on Bellingham Street in Chelsea
A two-year-old girl died after she was hit by a car on Bellingham Street in Chelsea around 9:50 p.m. on Wednesday night, according to reports from WCVB, NBC Boston and Boston 25 News. Chelsea police responded, and officers treated the girl at the scene and attempted CPR.
She was taken to CHA Everett Hospital, where she died of her injuries, police said. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and is cooperating, according to police.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the crash.
How Can Personal Injury Protection Affect a Pedestrian Crash Claim
When a car strikes a pedestrian in Massachusetts, the first legal questions often concern which insurance pays for medical and related expenses and who can be responsible for the harm. At Colucci, Colucci & Marcus, P.C., Boston personal injury attorney Dino M. Colucci represents people injured in pedestrian crashes and families who have lost someone in one. Our team investigates how a crash happened, which insurance policies apply and what the records can show. Our team represents injured clients in Suffolk, Norfolk and Middlesex counties and throughout Massachusetts.
M.G.L. c. 90, § 34M requires every Massachusetts motor vehicle liability policy to provide personal injury protection benefits as defined in § 34A. For an injured person who is eligible, PIP can pay reasonable medical expenses incurred within two years of the crash, without regard to fault. It can also pay lost wages generally limited to 75 percent of the person’s average weekly wage for the year before the crash, and payments to people outside the household for necessary replacement services.
Where health insurance or a group health plan has paid or will pay an eligible person’s medical, hospital, ambulance or funeral expenses, § 34A bars PIP from paying more than $2,000 of those expenses to the extent they are so paid. Amounts that coverage does not pay, such as its deductibles and copayments, can generally still be paid by PIP up to the policy’s PIP limit. A deductible purchased under § 34M can modify, reduce or eliminate these benefits for the insured and members of the insured’s household.
The district attorney’s investigation of this crash is a separate process from any insurance or civil claim. Police examine what happened and whether a law may have been broken, prosecutors decide whether to pursue charges, and a court decides guilt. A civil claim for compensation asks who can be responsible for the harm, and it does not depend on whether anyone is charged or convicted.
Why Witness Accounts Can Go Cold After a Pedestrian Crash
Accounts from people who saw or heard a crash can be relevant evidence in both a criminal investigation and a civil claim. Memories can fade over time, and contact details for neighbors, passersby or other drivers can be lost once people leave the scene.
A statement taken early can be more complete than one gathered later. It can capture details such as where each person was, what they noticed about the vehicle and what happened just before and after the impact. Our team works to locate witnesses and record their accounts while their recollections are fresh.
Witness accounts are often weighed alongside other records. Video from nearby cameras can be overwritten, and vehicle data can be lost if no one asks that it be kept. Comparing early statements with those records can help show what happened.
What Families Can Do Now
- Keep a record of insurer contact: Note the date, the caller’s name and what was said in every call, and keep every letter or email from an insurance company.
- Request the police crash report: Ask the Chelsea Police Department for a copy of the report once it is available. It can serve as a starting point for insurance and civil claims.
- Ask that video and vehicle data be preserved: Send written requests to nearby property owners and to the insurers involved asking that footage and vehicle data be kept.
- Understand who brings a wrongful death claim: Under M.G.L. c. 229, § 2, a person whose negligence causes another person’s death can be liable for damages in a wrongful death action. That action is brought by the executor or administrator of the deceased person for the benefit of the surviving spouse, children or next of kin.
- Note the filing deadline: A Massachusetts wrongful death action generally must be filed within three years from the date of death, or within three years from when the executor or administrator knew, or in the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known, of the factual basis for a claim. Certain sections of chapter 260 can provide additional time.
- Talk with a lawyer before signing anything: Review any release, authorization or other insurer document with a lawyer first, so the family understands what each document does.
Sources
- wcvb.com: Two-year-old dead after getting hit by car in Chelsea
- nbcboston.com: 2-year-old girl hit and killed by vehicle in Chelsea
- boston25news.com: Two-year-old dies after being struck by car in Chelsea
Talking With a Lawyer After a Fatal Crash in Chelsea
An early conversation can help a family understand the police investigation, insurance and a possible wrongful death claim, without any obligation. Call Colucci, Colucci & Marcus, P.C. at (617) 958-3807 to discuss your case. Our office at 31 Milk St, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02109 serves injured clients throughout Boston and across Massachusetts.
