Airborne street sign injures woman

April 13, 2009

A 36-year-old woman was hit on the forehead by a falling street sign yesterday at the corner of Hanover and Prince streets in the North End as a busy Easter church service was getting out about noon. The victim was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she reported feeling lethargic with neck pain, police said. The victim's husband told police that the pair was crossing the street when the sign suddenly came flying down toward them. A Boston Emergency Medical Services spokeswoman said the woman suffered a small cut on her head and is expected to be all right. Boston Public Works and police are investigating.

The street artist who created the "Hope" poster of President Obama is scheduled to appear in two Boston courts on new vandalism charges. Shepard Fairey, 38, is to appear today in Roxbury District Court and tomorrow in Brighton District Court for pretrial hearings. Police said the Los Angeles resident illegally posted stickers around the city between Nov. 25 and Dec. 25. But attorney Jeffrey Wiesner said Fairey was not in town during that time. Fairey was already facing vandalism charges in Boston. Last month, The Associated Press has sued Fairey over the Obama image, saying the uncredited, uncompensated use of its photo violated copyright laws. (AP)

A Boston mother accused of fatally poisoning her two children will use an insanity defense at her trial. Angela Vasquez is charged with first-degree murder in the July 2007 deaths of her two children, Dennis Burgos Jr., 10, and Yasmine Burgos, 13. Friends said Vasquez had been distraught and threatened suicide during the weekend her children were killed. Police found Vasquez in the family's apartment with self-inflicted stab wounds, along with the bodies of her children. A police report said autopsies of the children found evidence "consistent with poisoning." Vasquez's lawyer has filed notice that she will use an insanity defense at her trial, scheduled to begin Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court. (AP)

A 58-year-old Arlington man driving west on Route 16 in Medford died yesterday when his 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass rolled onto an embankment, State Police said in a statement. Before driving off the road at 4:15 p.m., the car struck guardrails on both sides of the road and collided with a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu operated by a 70-year-old man, who was not injured. The driver, whom State Police did not identify because his family had not yet been notified, was pronounced dead at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford.

Two Easton residents walking on Sheridan Street were critically hurt yesterday when they were struck from behind by a minivan, according to Easton police. Giovanni and Doreen Delmonaco, both 54, were on the sidewalk when a van driven by Richard Giles, 76, of Easton crossed the center line of the street and hit them. Giles then stopped, got out of the car, and collapsed on the sidewalk. The Delmonacos were taken to Boston Medical Center; Giles was transported to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton. The incident remains under investigation.

Police say a car ended up submerged in ocean waters in an early-morning crash in Falmouth that killed an 18-year-old man. Officers were called around 4:30 a.m. yesterday on a report of a young man banging on the door of a nearby home. Police learned the teen was in the car when it crashed and had been trying to get help for another person. Rescuers say they pulled Joshua Lopes of Falmouth from the car and tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at Falmouth Hospital. Police identified the other person as Ryan Fahey, 17, of Falmouth. His condition was unknown. Authorities say the water temperature at the time was about 43 degrees. The cause of the accident is under investigation. (AP)