Town Council Remembers Lives Lost During Tragic Thursday

BRAINTREE, MA — As 2016 comes to an end, Braintree had one of their harder days of the year last Thursday with the death of one person who came perform work for the town and another who died while leaving her job.

A moment of silence was held at the start of Tuesday’s Braintree Town Council meeting for David Scott and Irina Hyde. Scott died in an accident while inspecting a water tower and Hyde was struck by a vehicle in a well-publicized hit and run incident.

Councilman John Mullaney, noting recent deaths around town, asked residents to reach out to those who are suffering emotionally and remember them in their prayers.

Councilors, while mourning the death, also praised police officers and firefighters for their work.

"I happened upon the scene of that accident last week and as I was talking to the officers on the scene, they showed me a piece of the grill...they didn’t have a lot to work on. I got to say the work of the officers who got an arrest in 24 hours was outstanding,” Councilor Thomas Bowes said.

Councillor Stephen O’Brien said he lives near the water tower located off of Lincoln Street and could hear yelling and screaming.

“I was shocked when I learned what it was,” O’Brien said. “Many of the fire department individuals went up that tower in a heartbeat to save those two souls.”

Councilor Michael Owens said that police officers in Braintree assisted the Scott family when they arrived in the area, picking them up and helping them find shelter, noting that it showed the personal side of policing.

Scott’s death was determined by town officials to be an accident caused by equipment malfunction while the suspect in the Hyde case was arraigned Monday in Quincy District Court.

Image: File photo