Suffield Pedestrian Dies in Car Crash

A vehicle traveling on Bridge Street in Suffield struck a female pedestrian late Thursday afternoon, causing fatal injuries to the woman.

The pedestrian, 65-year-old Patricia Handler of the Maple Court senior housing at 81 Bridge Street, was transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, where she was pronounced dead, according to Sgt. Ryan Burrell, a Suffield police officer and member of the North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Squad (NCMARS).

Burrell and other officers in NCMARS were working at the scene to determine the circumstances of the accident, which occurred near the former Bridge Street School building and the Suffield Senior Center. 

The vehicle involved, a 2002 Dodge Durango, was driven by Christine Swanson, 49, of East Hartford. It was traveling in the eastbound lane (away from Mountain Road and the center of Suffield) of Bridge Street, Burrell said.

The accident was reported at 5:37 p.m.