crash_reports: 1900001336

On Friday December 27th, 2019, at approximately 1348hrs, while assigned to N508 to assist with a funeral escort, I was notified by Dispatch that "MC1" was involved in a crash at the Whole Foods parking lot on Washington Street. Upon arrival I found that Newton Police Motorcycle #1 was involved in a crash while helping to assist a funeral that had just left the Our Lady Church property. Police MC #1 is MA MMC7219, a 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle. The motorcycle was operated by Officer Rocco Marini. MV #2 was also located on scene and parked in the Whole Food parking lot. This vehicle is MA Reg. 7VN155 a 2017 Lexus ES350. This vehicle was operated by Diana Simkin. Officer Marini reported that he was traveling westbound on Washington Street when he was hit by MV #2 that was making a left (opposite direction) into the Whole Foods parking lot. Officer Marini was in the right hand lane escorting the long line of cars that was part of a funeral procession. These vehicles were in left westbound lane. Officer Marini reported he was in the right hand lane and had his emergency lights on when the collision occurred. Officer Marini did not see MV #2 prior to collision. Officer Marini reported that the front of his motorcycle hit the rear passenger side tire of MV #2. Officer Marini was taken from the scene by Ambulance to Newton Wellesley Hospital. I spoke to the operator of MV #2 Diana Simkin. Simkin reported she was traveling east on Washington Street and wanted to make a left into Whole Foods parking lot when the crash occurred. Simkin reported she was waved into the lot by an unknown motor vehicle headed in the opposite direction. Simkin was not sure which lane this person waved from. Simkin made the left into the lot and was not aware of the crash or did she see MC 1 until she was stuck in traffic in the parking lot and some woman knocked on her window. Simkin reported that she never saw an police emergency flashing lights either. There was minimal damage to Simkin's vehicle. There was scuff marks on the passenger rear tire. Simkin also did not report any injuries. MC #1 sustained some front damage to the wheel fender fairing. The motorcycle was taken from the scene by Tody's. Pictures were taken on scene by Officer McSweeney and given to IT for downloading purposes. While on scene Officer McSweeney and myself went to New England Diamond and Jewelry at 660 Washington Street. We met the owners Dave and Robert Alpert (617-243-0099) who reported that they have video of the collision. In the video I observed at 1346hrs the funeral begin to pass the Whole Foods entrance. At 1348hrs the video shows MV #2 come up in the easttbound lane and stop. The vehicle stops and waits until an unknown white SUV stops to allow MV #2 to make a left turn into the lot. Once this unknown SUV stops, the video shows that MV #2 makes the left and hits MC #1 as he is traveling straight ahead with his emergency lights on. It appears from the video that MC #1 had no warning and could not brake his motorcycle. The video shows a long line of cars in this funeral procession with their emergency flashing lights on. Due to the angle of the video and vehicles I am unable to tell if this SUV had their flashing lights on. The video was sent to Director Smith in IT for downloading purposes. I went to Newton Wellesley Hospital and spoke with Officer Marini. He was reporting soreness to his left elbow. Officer Marini was released from the Hospital and taken back to the station at about 1500hrs. Based on the facts of the investigation, I have issued MA Uniform Citation T0340444 to Diana Simkin for violating 89/8: failure to yield the right of way and for violating 89/7A: interference with an emergency vehicle. Simkin was notified of this citation via telephone at 1730hrs on this day and this citation was mailed to her address. Washington Street is a public way in the City of Newton.