Fatal pedestrian accident on Elm St.
Published on November 12th, 2008
STONEHAM, MA - An 83-year-old Stoneham man died and a young girl was injured by an alleged drunk driver in two separate pedestrian accidents along Main Street this week.
According to police, Hancock Street resident Albert Paradiso was struck by a van at approximately 6 a.m. on Monday morning as he was walking north on Main Street and attempting to cross Elm Street in a crosswalk.
Paramedics found the accident victim laying unresponsive in the roadway and he was transported to the Lahey Clinic with life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead at the hospital on Monday evening.
The Monday incident was the second fatal pedestrian crash since last spring, when a Brookline man died while he was attempting to walk across Montvale Avenue near Main Street.
The operator of the van, a 73-year-old Peabody resident, was apparently turning left onto Elm Street from Main in a Chrysler Voyager. As of presstime, authorities had not released the identity of the driver.
The Peabody resident has not been charged for any wrongdoing, although local and state police are still investigating. According to Stoneham Police Lt. Jim McIntyre, at this point in the investigation, neither speed or alcohol appear to be factors in the fatal pedestrian accident.
"We haven't examined that yet," said McIntyre, when asked if charges would be brought against the driver. "It's still under investigation."
"We're working with a [State Police] reconstruction team to figure out if charges are warranted," added the police lieutenant, who will consult with the Middlesex District Attorney's office about any criminal proceedings.
At approximately 6:48 p.m. on Tuesday night, a young girl was struck by an alleged drunk driver as she and a group of friends attempted to cross Main Street from the MassBank location to the Angelo's Restaurant side of the roadway.
According to police, Stoneham resident Paul Tuminelli, 54, was turning right onto Main Street from William Street when he struck the juvenile, causing non-life-threatening injuries.
"Armstrong [Ambulance] happened to come across the accident and transported the victim to the hospital," explained McIntyre, who declined to discuss the victim's specific injuries, because she's a juvenile.
The subsequent police investigation into the Tuesday night crash concluded that Tuminelli was drunk behind the wheel - and carrying an open container of alcohol in the car to boot - when the incident happened.
The 54-year-old, who was arrested in the MassBank parking lot, was reportedly arraigned in Woburn District Court on Wednesday morning for operating under the influence of alcohol.
However, based on local authorities' discussions with the district attorney's office, Tuminelli could very likely face more severe charges.
"From what I understand, they're going to upgrade the charge to OUI causing serious bodily injury," McIntyre said.
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