Driver charged with vehicular homicide in death of young pedestrian on Belmont St. in Worcester

WORCESTER — The driver of the car that struck and killed a 13-year-old girl on Belmont Street in June faces a charge of motor vehicle homicide, according to police.

Javier Martinez, 44, has also been issued citations for driving to endanger, negligent driving, failure to yield to a pedestrian and speeding, police said.

The crash claimed the life of Gianna Rose Simoncini , who was crossing the street in the area of 370 Belmont St., between Plantation Street and Lake Avenue.

Martinez, at the wheel of a Honda Acura, remained at the scene after the crash.

The crash occurred about 2:30 p.m. June 27 on a busy stretch of Belmont Street (Route 9) near UMass Memorial Medical Center. The section of the road lacks a crosswalk for a long stretch.

A month later, another 13-year-old girl, Ayuen Leet, was struck by a car on Shrewsbury Street.

The driver in that crash, Van Nguyen, 18, has been cited for operating to endanger, speeding and failure to yield to a pedestrian in the roadway.

The two crashes and others stirred politicians and the public to reexamine traffic safety issues and speed limits on the city streets.

On Aug. 1, City Manager Eric D. Batista and Mayor Joseph M. Petty declared a "road safety and traffic violence crisis" in the city.

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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Driver charged with vehicular homicide in death of young pedestrian on Belmont St. in Worcester