BOSTON (AP) – A manhole cover weighing more than 200 pounds crashed through a windshield, killing a woman as she drove on a major Boston highway during the Friday morning commute, authorities said.
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“Ms. Clavette was a talented and special educator who has touched the lives of many students and families over the past four years in the Milton Public Schools”, a statement issued by Superintendent Mary Gormley read.
Police said the metal cover usually rests atop a manhole in the left lane of Route 93 southbound near the exit of the O’Neill Tunnel.
Inspectors from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation are inspecting every manhole cover and grate in the state’s highway system after an apparent freak accident with a dislodged manhole cover killed a woman driving along Interstate 93 in Boston Friday morning.
Two lanes of the highway were shut down while the investigation was underway Friday.
Investigators also plan to examine damage on the vehicle to learn where the manhole struck the auto and the distance it traveled before impact, State Police said.
“There does not seem to have been any recent work that would have involved moving that manhole cover”, Pollack told reporters. State police are continuing to investigate with the help of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The crash happened about 7:50 a.m. near East Berkeley Street in Boston, state police said.
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It’s unclear what caused the manhole cover to become dislodged. That is part of an ongoing investigation, Procopio said. He said highway officials could not recall a similar incident in recent memory.
