By Ira Kantor
The Boston Herald
HOPKINTON, Mass. — A 46-year-old woman riding as a passenger during a 9/11 memorial motorcycle ride was struck and killed yesterday morning after the 2001 Yamaha motorcycle she was on collided with another chopper on Route 495 North in Hopkinton.
Massachusetts State Police Lt. David Wilson said the motorcycle, operated by a 39-year-old Hyannis man, was entering Route 495 from the West Main Street ramp when it collided with a 2005 Honda motorcycle driven by a 43-year-old Waltham man around 7:05 a.m.
Yesterday, dozens of motorcyclists took part in the eighth annual Remember 9/11 ride from Hopkinton to Ground Zero to memorialize the nearly 3,000 people lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. It could not be confirmed last night whether the three accident victims were taking part in that ride.
The trek begins on South Street in Hopkinton and features numerous bikers from the Christian Motorcyclists Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading the word of God while riding.
Both motorcycle operators were flown to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center after sustaining serious injuries, Wilson said. The woman was transported by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The victims have not been identified pending notification of family members, Wilson said.
State Police said the accident and ensuing investigation closed several lanes on Route 495 northbound for nearly three hours yesterday.
The accident remains under investigation by Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and the medical examiner’s office.
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