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West Street was closed for three hours between Tor Court and Roberta Road after a worker was struck and killed.

Worker Struck and Killed on West Street

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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The work site was in the eastbound lane of West Street. 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A worker died Thursday after being struck by a vehicle in a construction zone on West Street.
 
Police say Shane Cassavant, 49, of Lanesborough was working in the roadway when he was struck by an eastbound 2015 Chevrolet Colorado operated by Edward Ladouceur, 87, of Pittsfield, who entered the construction zone.
 
Cassavant was taken to Berkshire Medical Center where he later died of his injuries. 
 
The crash was reported at about 7:52 a.m. in the area of  777 West St.; police, fire, and Action Ambulance responded.
 
Prior to the crash, the eastbound lane was closed to traffic for construction and vehicles were being directed into the westbound lane by a flagger just west of Tor Court. Police did not provide what work Cassavant was doing or who he was working for. 
 
The area of West Street between Roberta Road and Tor Court was closed to traffic for about three hours while the investigation and roadway cleanup was underway.
 
Police posted the road closure to Facebook on Thursday morning, reporting a serious motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian. Berkshire Community College students were urged to seek alternative routes.
 
The incident remains under investigation by Police Officer David Hallas of the Traffic Unit. Any witnesses or individuals who drove through the construction zone prior to 7:50 a.m. are asked to contact Hallas at 413-448-9700.
 
Conversations on pedestrian safety have been centered on the West Street corridor this year after Pittsfield resident Shaloon Milord was struck and killed while crossing in front of Dorothy Amos Park in January.


 


Tags: fatal,   pedestrians,   

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Pittsfield Seeks CPA Funds for Bike Racks, AED

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to apply for Community Preservation Act funds for park bike racks and an AED machine at the pickleball fields. 

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission endorsed Pittsfield’s applications for CPA funds. 

"Both of those projects are certainly, relative to CPA funds, low cost but high benefit," Commissioner Anthony DeMartino said. 

Through CPA, bike racks are proposed for a few city parks, and the Berkshire Mountain Pickleball league is looking to place an automatic external defibrillator at the Benedict Avenue pickleball fields. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath and Recreation & Special Events Coordinator Jennifer VanBramer presented the two small project applications, which will go through an eligibility period before full consideration in the spring of 2027. 

During the city’s free, six-week, summer playground program, it was observed that many kids access parks by bicycle. The plan is to buy between six and eight racks to be placed at Durant Park, the Common, and Clapp Park; other parks are being considered as well. 

McGrath explained that the three parks hosting the playground program don’t have bike racks, and they wind up on the ground and sometimes become a distraction. 

"The ancillary benefit to having bike racks is that it encourages that mode of transportation for folks that want to come to the park on their bike," he said. 

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