Community remembers bicyclist hit and killed in Boston

BOSTON (WHDH) - The Boston community came together on Sunday to remember Paula Sharaga, the 69-year-old Cambridge woman who was hit and killed by a cement truck while riding her bike in the Fenway area earlier this month.

Those who gathered held a bike ride in her honor.

The “Ghost Bike” ceremony honored Sharaga’s life and raised awareness about bike safety.

Family and friends remember the victim as an avid bicyclist, beloved children’s librarian, and an active member in the community for decades.

“Joy that she brought to so many people’s lives,” Linda Burnett, a bike safety advocate, said. “That could have been any one of us on any day.”

Emergency crews raced to the area of Brookline Avenue and Park Drive and rushed Sharaga to the hospital, where she later died.

The driver of the Boston Sand & Gravel truck was identified as a 67-year-old man from Salem.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Now, commuters say that more needs to be done to protect bikers on the roads and to prevent more tragedies like this.

“I believe that we need more bike lanes put into the city,” Donnie Wozniak said. “I see it all the time: people who are getting hit, almost hit. We don’t have the accurate space for the bikers.”

Bob Nesson, who commutes from Somerville every day, said the intersection where Sharaga was hit was poorly designed.

“It’s designed by highway engineers who design roadways for cars and trucks with very little consideration for pedestrians and bicyclists,” Nesson said. “It’s a nightmare to get through this intersection.”

Members of the Fenway area community hope drivers take more caution on the roads.

“If this whole thing could just engender a little more kindness and a little slowing down mentally and physically, I think it will have served a purpose,” Burnett said.

One of Sunday’s supporters said she sent a letter to the State House asking representatives to focus on bike and pedestrian safety.

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