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South End woman seeks witnesses

by Michele D.  Maniscalco
Thursday Oct 12, 2017

Was struck by car June 6

An elderly South End woman who was struck by a vehicle while crossing Warren Street is seeking witnesses to the incident. Lee Martz, 80, of 73 Warren Avenue, was walking home from the Tuesday, June 6 meeting of the South End Seniors group at 11:30 AM when she was hit and knocked down by a pickup truck as she crossed Warren Avenue at Dartmouth Street, sustaining fractures to her ribs, clavicle and humerus as well as a punctured lung and a minor head wound.

According to Martz, she waited for the green light to cross Warren Avenue and proceeded into the crosswalk. She said the driver of the pickup truck was turning onto Warren Avenue from Dartmouth, aware of a pedestrian in the crosswalk from the opposite side of Warren Avenue. However, the driver allegedly was unaware of Martz in the crosswalk, his vehicle striking Martz in the shoulder blade and knocking her onto her left side.

Martz was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she remained in the intensive care unit for most of her 10 day stay before being released for a short stay in a rehab facility. Since returning home, Martz has undergone physical therapy and occupational therapy for her injuries, her final sessions taking place this week.

Two men who had also attended the South End Seniors meeting, which featured a talk by D-4 community service officer Bernadette McCarthy on pedestrian safety, were at different corners of the intersection, one of whom heard the pickup truck's brakes and came to Martz's side, the other one coming to her aid once he saw the first man.

Two witnesses spoke to police, one of them claiming that Martz was not in the crosswalk. Martz said she landed on the street just beyond the edge of the crosswalk and that the truck stopped in the crosswalk when it hit her.

"The issue of whether I was in the crosswalk is in question. I know damn well I was walking in the crosswalk. I would love to have a witness who saw where I was walking while I was crossing," Martz said in a telephone interview. Martz, who retired from her career in office management and bookkeeping in November, was walking with a cane at the time of the accident due to scoliosis. She considers herself very fortunate that her injuries were not more serious and did not result in her becoming permanently disabled.

"I was very, very fortunate. I probably never will have as good a range of motion in my left shoulder. Friends were concerned that my spine would have been severely impacted but that does not appear to have happened."

A native of Greenwich Village and a breast cancer survivor, Martz is active despite her scoliosis, having competed in 24 Susan G. Komen 3 Day walks for breast cancer over the course of 10 years. As a native New Yorker, Martz enjoys walking and describes herself as a "great fan of public transportation," particularly the 43 bus line.

Since the accident, "I've learned to call a taxi," she said. Martz is hoping that someone saw the moment of impact when the truck struck her. Anyone with information on this incident may contact the South End News at sue.southendnews@google.com.