Woman, 74, Dead After Being Hit By Vehicle In West Hartford: WHPD

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Local police said an elderly woman was killed after being struck by a vehicle on a West Hartford roadway on Thanksgiving Eve.

According to the West Hartford Police Department, the victim has been identified as Anne Rapkin, 74, of West Hartford.

The WHPD said that at about 6:44 p.m. On Wednesday, the officers and West Hartford Fire Department were called for a report of a motor vehicle collision on Sedgwick and Cornell roads.

Arriving responders quickly determined the incident was a collision between a passenger vehicle and an adult pedestrian, with the pedestrian suffering "serious injuries" on the scene and rushed to an area hospital, according to the WHPD.

Police said the adult driver of the vehicle remained on scene and cooperated with investigators.

A 11:42 p.m., the WHPD said that the woman, identified as Rapkin, had died as a result of injuries sustained in the collision.

The incident is still under police information and the WHPD said no further information was being released at this time.

It prompted the closure of roads in that area for several hours for police to investigate.

Wednesday's fatal pedestrian incident marks a troubling trend locally.

A spate of fatal incidents in 2022, including five deaths in December 2022 alone, prompted a town-wide probe and commitment to the Vision Zero traffic safety initiative.

That program, ultimately, was approved by the West Hartford Town Council on Feb. 27.

But 2024 has been a difficult year on roadways anyway, with this incident making for at least three fatal incidents involving elderly pedestrians and vehicles this year alone.

On Jan. 6, an 80-year-old man was struck and killedby a vehicle on Albany Avenue while, earlier this month on Nov. 6, an 87-year-old woman was killed at the intersection of Oakwood Avenue and Saint James Street.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to contact the West Hartford Police Department at 860-523-5203 523-5203 or use the WHPD Tip Line/email at (860) 570-8969 / whpdtips@westhartfordct.gov.

From Nov. 9: 'Woman, 87, Dies After Being Hit By Vehicle: West Hartford PD: UPDATE'

From March 3: 'WeHa Council Seeks 'Cultural' Change On Traffic Safety'

From Jan. 8: 'Pedestrian Killed In West Hartford Identified: WHPD'