Local News

Neighbors demanding action after driver runs down family of geese in Peabody

Three goslings were killed as they crossed the road.

By Abby Patkin

June 1, 2023

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Police in Peabody are looking for a driver who reportedly plowed through a gaggle of geese Tuesday morning, killing three goslings as they crossed the road.

Police Det. Lt. David Bonfanti said the incident happened on Winona Street. Ring home surveillance footage appears to show the moment a silver car crossed paths with the geese. 

Neighbor James Gemma told WCVB the driver “did not hesitate. Didn’t brake. Nothing. Blew right through them. Killed three of them. Injured a fourth one. It was devastating, heartbreaking.”

Liani Cove, another neighbor, told the news outlet that the man sped off and blew through a stop sign at the end of the road. 

WBZ reported that Gemma chased after the driver, to no avail. 

Residents said a family of geese lays eggs in the neighborhood and spends time in a pond off Winona Street, WCVB reported. Neighbors buried the three dead goslings near the pond, according to the news outlet. 

Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which prohibits the killing of certain bird species without prior authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Bonfanti said the Peabody Police Department is interested in speaking with the owner/driver of a two-door gray car, possibly an Infiniti. 

Meanwhile, residents are calling on the city to install rumble strips and put up geese crossing signs on Winona Street, according to WCVB.