The death of a 4-year-old girl on Sunday in Boston’s Seaport was ruled an accident by police, according to a Boston Police Department report obtained by MassLive.
Gracie Gancheva, whose family lives in Denver, was walking in the area of Congress and Sleeper streets in the Seaport neighborhood of Boston around 5 p.m. Sunday when she was hit by a vehicle and killed, police said. Gancheva was taken to a hospital after the crash, where she was pronounced dead.
After an autopsy, police ruled the girl died of blunt force injuries.
Police previously said the driver who hit Gancheva would not face criminal charges.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden offered his condolences to the girl’s family.
“It’s difficult to adequately express the scope of tragedy in losing someone so young,” Hayden said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration had planned safety upgrades to the area where the girl was hit prior to the collision, including new, accessible sidewalks, safer crosswalks, street-light upgrades, and street trees and landscaping, according to the city’s website.
“We want to build a street that is safe, convenient, comfortable for everyone, while meeting the needs of residents and businesses,” the city’s website reads.
Boston Children’s Museum president and CEO Carole Charnow said the museum was “devastated by this tragedy.”
“Our hearts go out to the family of the little girl,” Charnow said. She did not say if the girl was visiting the museum.
Charnow said the museum is aware of issues with the intersection, particularly related to speed and site lines.
“While we know that there are plans in the works to permanently address this issue, we hope that something can be done right away to ensure pedestrian safety,” she said.
