Driver, 78, strikes teen in Seekonk
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Teen Struck
A Seekonk teenager suffers a head injury after he was struck by a car.
Family photo
Police say 17-year-old Nicholas Bitsis suffered a head injury after he was struck by a car.
Published: July 20, 2009
Updated: July 20, 2009
SEEKONK, Mass.—Police said a 78-year-old driver struck a teenager who was walking along a road in Seekonk.
Police said 17-year-old Nicholas Bitsis was struck on Elm Street at about 8:40 p.m. Sunday. He was thrown onto a nearby lawn.
Police said Bitsis was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with a head injury. He’s listed in fair condition.
Darlene Tousignant and her husband, who live two houses down from where the accident happened, were sitting on their back deck when they saw the crash. She said Nicholas was on his way to visit her son.
“Immediately I saw him laying on the ground, then I heard his father yell, ‘Someone call 9-1-1, my son’s been hit by a car.‘ Then I looked and saw it was an elderly woman in the car,“ she said.
Police said the car was driven by Margaret Whitaker, 78, of Seekonk. Police said after hitting Bitsis, Whitaker’s car struck a telephone pole, setting off the air bag.
Peter Tousignant said Whitaker told him and his wife that she didn’t even realize she had hit someone.
“I didn’t want to take any chances of something catching on fire. She still had her seatbelt on, so as carefully as I could, I removed her from the car,“ he said.
Whitaker was taken to Rhode Island Hospital as a precaution.
According to witnesses, Whitaker said she was blinded by headlights before the accident. Witnesses said the victim’s father had just backed his car out of his driveway and was on the side of the road waiting for his wife. His car was facing Whitaker’s car.
“She said, ‘I couldn’t see. The lights blinded me’, and it made her go off to the right,“ Darlene Tousignant said.
Whitaker’s family didn’t comment on the accident, but said that she’s doing OK.
Police said as of Monday, no charges have been filed.
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Reader Reactions
The eye test should be more thorough. All they ask you to do is tell them what colors are on the panel and read a line of letters. There is no test for checking if you’re blinded by glare at all—in other words no reaction testing. That is the kind of testing that should be done.
As far as more of the accidents by seniors—yes. There will be far more as the baby boomer generation moves into retirement and those people (the “I’m entitled” generation) refuse to see reason and hand over their keys.
Someone else already said that the politicians won’t do thing one about it—and they’re right. My dad drove until he was 80, and he KNEW that he couldn’t drive anymore—and he didn’t. How many senior citizens will say that today—I KNOW my reflexes have slowed and it’s not safe for me to drive any longer. NOT TOO D*MN MANY!
What kind of testing are you refeering to? Whenever I renew my license they require an eye test!
Also, note the woman stated she didnt even realize she hit a person.
I think it may be less about being blinded by headlights and more similar to the guy with the little hat and big, dark shades in front of me this morning on the highway going 40mph.
Test annually over 65 and revoke if necessary. It may save lives.
How many cases of the store-front being slammed into do we need to hear?
From what I understand it was between 8:30 and 9:00 at night when this accident happened. Also, at this point in the summer the sun sets around that time. This means that there was probably light, but it would have been a more twilight type of light. I don’t know about you but when it reaches this point in the day I tend to use my headlights. Also, there are a lot of trees on that street and so there would have been even less light getting through to where the cars are. Thinking about this things seem to make sense as to why the head lights on. Knowing that it was light-ish out makes it even more odd that the woman’s reaction was to swerve off the road….
If that is the case, Concerned123, then that lady should have her license suspended and her right to drive taken away. BUT—something doesn’t add up. If it were still light out, why did both cars have their headlights on? Obviously there is more to it than your post indicates.
Hi, I was at the scene of the accident. His clothing was white, it was light out still. He was over a foot away from the road in the grass when it happened. I can promise that.
take elderly drivers off the road let their children drive them or let them use the public transit too much of these innocent people getting hurt
Yes, PUTTING on the brakes. When you can’t see where you’re going, you stop—for safety sake. Or are you one of those agressive drivers who would rather lean on the horn?
I would NOT want to be on the same road as you if you don’t know enough to stop when you can’t keep control of your car.
I hope i am there when all of you who are judging this based on age turn 65 and have your keys yanked.
This was a series of events. Slamming on the brakes? She didn’t see the kid for goodness sakes!!
Please. Stop judging what someone should and shouldn’t do based on their age.
Rhodeislander (age 45).
Whether she is an active 78 or an old 78 makes no difference. Eyesight is not dependent of how active you are. Yes, I feel bad for Mrs. Whittaker, and I can well imagine what she feels like.
There is one thing you all overlook though. There is a thing in all cars called the brake pedal. If you come across a situation where you’re blinded, the first thing you should do is STOP!
I also know that things can happen quickly. That is the reason people should recognize that reflexes slow down when people age—and also that they should not attempt to try things they used to take for granted.
Maybe it was the teenagers fault for wearing dark clothing. Maybe it was the drivers fault for diminished eyesight and reflexes. Maybe it was the driver of the stopped cars fault for not switching to parking lights.
The only thing we know is that the boy was hit and that car that hit him then slammed into a telephone pole. It’s time the lady realized that she may not be up to driving at night. Period.
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