The latest survey of moped, bicycle and motorcycle accidents on the Island won't show the broken ribs, the punctured lungs or the "whole body rubbed raw" by a case of road rash, said Dr. Alan Hirshberg, the director of emergency services at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital.
Joanne Nutting is one of the 27 people who crashed a moped on the Vineyard last year and ended up in the emergency room at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital.
Emergency Responders Report Moped Accidents Down Again
By BRIEN HEFLER
Moped accidents were down again on the Vineyard this summer, and
emergency responders cite better public safety education as a possible
factor.
Preliminary numbers compiled by the four ambulance departments on
the Island show that the departments responded to an average number of
calls during the summer months, with a slight increase in the
down-Island departments.
But across the board the number of moped accidents saw a significant
drop.
Sunday's moped accident that claimed the life of a 41-year-old
New York city woman has reopened old wounds for Islanders who want to
see stronger safety standards for the two-wheeled vehicles, and others
who want them banned from the Vineyard altogether.
A woman visitor driving a moped down a straight stretch of the
Edgartown-West Tisbury Road in West Tisbury on Sunday was killed after
she reportedly lost control of the two-wheeled vehicle and struck a
utility pole head-on.
Island police yesterday reported a busy but relatively smooth Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The biggest story, of course, was the devastating fire on Main street in Vineyard Haven that destroyed the Cafe Moxie restaurant and caused extensive damage to the landmark Bunch of Grapes bookstore, which cast a pall for many over the usually celebratory Independence Day weekend.