By Diego Ribadeneira

Boston Globe, December 11, 1987
 

Katherine Childs was described yesterday by fellow bicycle messengers as a skilled rider, meticulous about safety and adhering to the rules of the road.

Her cautious style, however, was not enough to save her life.

Yesterday at 11:45 a.m., as she sat on her bicycle waiting for a light to change behind City Hall, Childs, 25, was struck and killed by a truck, which sped away, dragging the bicycle. The force of the impact, which occurred in front of a number of stunned witnesses, knocked Childs several feet into the air before she landed on the pavement.

An unidentified witness gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as Childs lay motionless on the ground at the intersection of New Congress and North streets, authorities said.

When paramedics arrived, Childs was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital where she was pronounced dead from massive head and chest injuries, authorities said.

Meanwhile, the vehicle, identified by authorities as a red-pickup truck with wooden side panels, fled on New Congress Street and New Sudbury Street toward the Central Artery.

Police discovered the mangled remains of Childs' bicycle, believed to be a 10-speed, or a mountain bike, on the northbound lanes of the Central Artery.

Police last night said they did not know who the driver was, but believe he works for a Burlington trucking firm. They refused to identify the company but said Boston police officers went to Burlington to investigate.

Childs, whose family lives in Connecticut and who has a Boston apartment, had been working part-time for Quicksilver Messenger Service Inc. in Boston for about a month, co-workers said. The company employs 6 bicycle messengers and 3 messengers who drive cars.

She had earned the reputation of being a savvy driver, her coworkers said.

"She was not a daredevil," said Christopher Doherty, 22, a manager and a partner in Quicksilver Metro Service, the parent company. "It's not a cliche to say this is the last person in the world you would expect this to happen to."

"She was incredibly careful," he said. "She never took any chances and always wore a helmet. She was a heads-up driver. But it wasn't enough. Some guy just ran right over her."

Doherty added: "She was a hard worker and was one of those people who had a zest for life." He declined to say where in Connecticut Childs' family lives or where her Boston apartment is located.

A Boston traffic and parking enforcement officer said after Childs was struck, "she just wasn't moving. I just knew it was bad."

The intersection at New Congress and North streets is one of busiest in downtown Boston.

A messenger for a competing company described Childs as "all business. She never stopped working," said the messenger, who asked not to be identified. ''She was pumped from the beginning of the day to the end."

Bicycle messengers, long a common site on the streets of New York City, have gained popularity in Boston in recent years. During the last two years, several companies have sprung up, and there are now an estimated 200 drivers, according to several company officials.

While riding Boston streets can be perilous, drivers say most accidents are minor. "The most common thing where I get hurt is when someone opens a door and I run into it," said Harry Hussey, 29, who has worked for Quicksilver for nearly a year.

Several officials at messenger companies contacted yesterday could not recall a previous work-related death of a bicycle messenger.

"We tell our people to be careful," said one official. "This is Boston after all. Most of them have common sense. But what happened today does not look like the messenger's fault."

Doherty said his company is discussing funeral arrangements with Childs' family.

"I just hope they get the guy who did it," Doherty said. "He deserves everything that's coming to him."

Boston police believe there were several witnesses to the accident and asked anyone with information to call authorities.