Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. report that a 54-year-old Methuen man has been cited for negligent operation in connection with operating a commercial dump truck that fatally struck a pedestrian, identified as Jie Zhao, 27 of Cambridge, on October 5 in the area of Magazine Street and Putnam Avenue in Cambridge.
The preliminary investigation suggests that at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Friday the driver of the truck was traveling on Putnam Avenue towards Newton Street just past the intersection of Magazine Street when, in an apparent attempt to turn right onto Magazine Street, he began to back up the vehicle. The driver subsequently struck the victim with the rear of the vehicle. The victim was pronounced dead on scene.
This is an open and active investigation being conducted with the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Cambridge Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section. The name of the driver is not being released at this time and a court date has not been scheduled.
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