WESTFIELD – Michael Ryan, 7, has been identified by Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni as the victim of a fatal crash Monday afternoon.
The boy died in a collision when he was struck by a dump truck while crossing Montgomery Street on his bicycle with his mother.
The D.A.’s late afternoon press release confirmed the identity of Micahel Ryan, as first reported online by The Westfield News. Mastroianni also offered the preliminary findings determined by the investigatory team which, he said, is led by State Police with assistance from city police and his office.
Mastroianni reports that “Michael Ryan was on his bicycle at or near the intersection of Montgomery Street and Prospect Street when he was struck by the front end of a truck owned by Moose Meadow Brook Excavation.”
He also said that preliminary information indicated that the truck “attempted evasive measures before contact was made.”
No charges have been filed, Mastroianni said.
City police had said earlier that the boy had been crossing Montgomery Street when the crash occurred and unconfirmed witness accounts report that the boy’s mother, Kerry Lee Ryan, had been following him on her bike.
Crown Street resident Kevin Medeiros said that “Mikey” had been a familiar sight riding his bike in the neighborhood but did not always appear to have looked both ways before entering the roadways.
Mastroianni promised that “a full investigation will provide much more detail relative to the incident and how it occurred.”
In the meantime, a spontaneous memorial has grown at the site with a picture of Mikey as well as flowers and a multitude of stuffed animals.
