crash_reports: 1900001007

On 10/04/19 at 11:49 hours while assigned to Traffic Unit 523, I responded to a motor vehicle/bicyclist accident at Centre Street and Nathan Road. The weather at the time was cloudy. The road surface was dry and Centre Street and Nathan Road are public ways maintained by the City of Newton. Traffic conditions were heavy and Centre Street was congested with vehicles at the time. There is no dedicated bicycle lane in this area but there are bicycle indicators painted on the roadway to make drivers aware of bicyclists traveling. I spoke to the bicyclist involved (Unit 2), Marvin Goldman (S67373495). Goldman was wearing a helmet, gray sweatshirt, gray shorts, and black/orange reflective sneakers. Mr. Goldman stated that he was traveling southbound on Centre Street on the right side of the road on his black Fuji Sagres bicycle. He further says that he was peddling fast at the time while crossing over Nathan Road and that is when he suddenly struck Unit 1 on it's passenger side front quarter panel/door area. He does not recall any other details of the incident along with Unit 1 attempting to turn left towards him. Goldman sustained scraped up knees and a small laceration below his left eye. He refused medical attention signing a patient refusal with Cataldo Medic One. I observed that his front wheel was bent as a result of the accident. The rest of the bicycle appeared to be intact. I then spoke to the operator of Unit 1, Darlene Martins (S27966454). Ms. Martins spoke with the assistance of Ofc. Calderon who was translating for her. She says that she was traveling northbound on Centre Street and was attempting to turn left on to Nathan Road in order to turn around and travel the other way on Centre Street. She says that a vehicle in the southbound travel lane left space for her to make her left turn. She then proceeded to turn thinking it was clear and that is when the bicyclist suddenly approached and struck her on her passenger side. She also stated that it was hard to see past the congestion of vehicles waiting in the southbound travel lane. I observed scratch marks and a dent to her passenger side front quarter panel area along with minor scuff marks to her front passenger door. The scuff marks appear to be from the bicyclist rubbing against the vehicle. I also observed a dent on the top of the passenger door frame. It is unknown if the damage is the result of the accident or old damage Ofc. Calderon spoke to Rosangela Dias (Passenger in Unit 1), who stated that everything happened so quick but she never saw the bicyclist approaching when Martins attempted to turn left. I then spoke to a witness on scene identified as Matthew Miner. He says that he was two vehicles behind an unknown vehicle in the southbound travel lane of Centre Street. He says that the unknown vehicle left space for Unit 1 to turn left and waved Unit 1 on to turn left. He does not recall what transpired with the bicyclist. As a result of the accident, it was determined that Martins did not yield the right of way to the bicyclist while she was turning left. She also does not have a license to operate in Massachusetts or any other state. She was issued MA Uniform Citation # T2012393 for Ch. 89/8 Failure to yield and Ch. 90/10 Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle. Digital photos taken by me of the scene.