HAVERHILL, Mass. (WHDH) — A man who was struck by a Freightliner while riding a skateboard in Haverhill early Saturday morning has died, officials said.
Officers responding to a reported motor vehicle crash on River Street involving a 2016 Freightliner and a skateboarder about 3:40 a.m. pronounced a 27-year-old man dead at the scene, according to a spokeswoman for the Essex District Attorney Jonathan D. Blodgett’s Office.
The victim has been identified as Alejandro Zamora.
Raul Zamora, the victim’s brother, said people were blessed to know him.
“An amazing, amazing human being,” Raul said. “If you got the chance to know him, you got blessed.”
The incident happened just feet away from Tracy Smith’s home. She was awake at the time and heard the crash. She briefly spoke with the driver who had stopped.
“I’m trying to pull myself together so I ask, ‘You OK?’ ‘No, I’m not OK,’ and just immediately broke down crying,” Smith recalled.
It’s unclear why Alejandro was riding down the road at that time. River Street leads to downtown and can be a popular path for people on boards or bikes.
Raul said he’ll never forget the way his brother Alejandro lit up a room or the dreams he had to help other people, saying, “I promise him, myself — and I know he’s listening right now — I’m going to fulfill those dreams we talked about, those late nights we just went back and forth as brothers….”
The crash is under investigation by Haverhill police and state troopers assigned to Blodgett’s Office. No charges or citations have been issued.
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