By Diego Ribadeneira

Boston Globe, December 11, 1987
 

Katherine Childs was described yesterday by fellow bicycle messengersas a skilled rider, meticulous about safety and adhering to the rules ofthe 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 lightto 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 occurredin front of a number of stunned witnesses, knocked Childs several feetinto the air before she landed on the pavement.

An unidentified witness gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as Childslay motionless on the ground at the intersection of New Congress and Northstreets, authorities said.

When paramedics arrived, Childs was taken to Massachusetts General Hospitalwhere she was pronounced dead from massive head and chest injuries, authoritiessaid.

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

Police discovered the mangled remains of Childs' bicycle, believed tobe a 10-speed, or a mountain bike, on the northbound lanes of the CentralArtery.

Police last night said they did not know who the driver was, but believehe works for a Burlington trucking firm. They refused to identify the companybut 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 Bostonfor about a month, co-workers said. The company employs 6 bicycle messengersand 3 messengers who drive cars.

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

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

"She was incredibly careful," he said. "She never took any chances andalways 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 whohad a zest for life." He declined to say where in Connecticut Childs' familylives or where her Boston apartment is located.

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

The intersection at New Congress and North streets is one of busiestin 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 accidentsare minor. "The most common thing where I get hurt is when someone opensa door and I run into it," said Harry Hussey, 29, who has worked for Quicksilverfor nearly a year.

Several officials at messenger companies contacted yesterday could notrecall a previous work-related death of a bicycle messenger.

"We tell our people to be careful," said one official. "This is Bostonafter all. Most of them have common sense. But what happened today doesnot 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 deserveseverything that's coming to him."

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