A 58-year-old man was killed Saturday evening after his vehicle was struck by an MBTA commuter rail train at a streetcrossing in Braintree, officials said.
The collision occurred just before 5 p.m. at the Grove Street crossing, near the Braintree/Weymouth line, according to Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan.
The man, driving a black Jeep Cherokee on West Street, “intentionally” drove around the crossing guard as the train was approaching, Sullivan said.
The man, whose name was not released, was pronounced deceased as a result of injuries sustained in the collision, Sullivan said.
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“On behalf of the Transit Police and the entire MBTA organization we offer our most sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the crossing safety arm was deployed and all other safety warnings were activated at the time of the crash.
Braintree police said on social media that Grove Street (in Braintree) and West Street (in Weymouth) would be closed to vehicle traffic Saturday evening due to the collision.
Several commuter rail trains were canceled or delayed Saturday evening because of “police activity on the right of way in the Braintree area,” according to online updates from the MBTA. Two Kingston line trains, the 4:15 p.m. inbound and the 5:20 p.m. outbound, were replaced with shuttle bus service, and one inbound Fairmount line train was cancelled.
The incident is under investigation by Transit Police, as well as the Norfolk district attorney’s office, Sullivan said.
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Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
“She’s more than just a cyclist and an advocate,” Rose Frank, 36, who became friends with Gag in seventh grade, said. “Those were parts of her identity, but she’s such an amazing person in so many other ways, and we want to celebrate all of those ways.”
Gag, who grew up in Roslindale just minutes from the park, was a joyful and energetic child, said Mark Smith, 66, a neighbor who spoke at the event.
“She was the sweetest little girl with a big wide smile,” Smith said. “Whenever you were in her presence, you felt somehow special.”
Mayor Michelle Wu is consoled at the conclusion of a vigil held for Louisa Gag on Sunday.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
Smith said Gag’s passion for giving back to her community likely came from her parents, Steve Gag and Laura Gang, longtime Roslindale residents who contributed greatly to developing the neighborhood. Steve Gag helped bring a farmers market to Adams Park, while Laura Gang was involved in the public library.
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Gag’s loved ones said she grew up to become a generous person who cared deeply about her family and friends.
“Louisa showed up for people,” Molly Goodkind, 36, a childhood friend of Gag’s said during Sunday’s event. “We’ll never understand how she had time to be everyone’s go-to person.”
Gag, she said, would eagerly volunteer to cat-sit, even though she didn’t like cats. Another friend said she kept a spreadsheet of the birthdays of all the babies she knew.
“She was the person outside of my biological family who, if I needed something, she would be there in an instant,” Goodkind, who has known Gag since they were 2-years-old, said.
Gag’s friends said she was curious and remained open-minded, even though she held firm beliefs.
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“Who do you know that was a vegetarian except for when it inconvenienced others? And of course, except for hot dogs, because according to Louisa, you can’t not have a hot dog at a barbecue,” Gag’s friend Danielle Shaked said, drawing laughs from the crowd, including Laura Gang, who dabbed at her eyes with a crumpled tissue.
Gag also found time for many hobbies, and was always trying new ones, her friends said. Beyond loving outdoor activities such as biking and hiking, she was passionate about sustainability and shopped secondhand or sewed her own clothes. She dabbled in photography, painting, and cooking.
Phyllis Bluhm said she’s known Louisa Gag’s parents for about 36 years.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
Urban planning was one of Gag’s enduring passions, Goodkind said.
“In college, she created her own major,” she said. “I don’t remember exactly what she called it, but it was something like city and people.”
Gag attended college at the University of Rochester and later earned a master’s degree in urban and environmental planning and policy from Tufts University, according to her LinkedIn.
Before joining the city in 2022, Gag worked for LivableStreets Alliance, a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for increased safety, equity, and affordability. She also interned for Mayor Michelle Wu when Wu was a city councilor.
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Wu attended Sunday’s event, but did not speak. Like many other attendees, she held a yellow sunflower, one of Gag’s favorites, as she tearfully listened to the tributes.
While Gag didn’t like being the center of attention, her friends said she would have been grateful for Sunday’s event.
“She would be completely honored to know that she has impacted so many people,” Frank said, her gaze drifting over the people gathered in the park.
Under a small tent nearby, attendees crowded around a folding table, filling out remembrance cards. Dozens of bikes leaned against the park’s fences while more lay scattered in the grass.
Allyson Chiu can be reached at allyson.chiu@globe.com. Follow her on X @_allysonchiu.
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