Woman injured in police parking lot dies
Published on June 20th, 2001
STONEHAM, MA - According to her lawyer, longtime Common Street resident Barbara Hanson died Monday night as a result of injuries sustained on April 12 when off-duty Stoneham Police Officer Tony Kranefuss backed into her in the police parking lot.
Hanson’s attorney, Kristjan Asgeirsson of Main Street Stoneham, acknowledged that the collision was an accident and said that he was looking into an insurance settlement.
Police Chief Eugene Passaro said that he was sorry to hear of Hanson’s death. He, like most people who have spent any time in Stoneham, knew Hanson as a kindhearted, mentally handicapped senior citizen who enjoyed walking around town. Passaro said that Kranefuss’ personal insurance company would handle any negotiations because the accident occurred in a personal vehicle after Kranefuss was off duty
Asgeirsson has handled Hanson’s affairs for years, taking over for his father, her previous attorney.
“I don’t want to be adversarial. I want to resolve this,” Asgeirsson said. But he added that “none of this would have happened but for the accident... she has lots of medical bills.”
Asgeirsson wouldn’t estimate the cost of the bills, but Hanson had a hip replacement, physical therapy, and treatment for infections related to the surgery. The hip was broken in the April 12 accident, and Hanson had been in and out of different hospitals since then, passing on at age 68 in Lahey Clinic on the night of June 18.
The hospital would not release specific details, and the death certificate was not available as of press time. Therefore, at this point, statements that Hanson died as a result of the accident are only assumptions.
According to the accident report written by Stoneham Police Sgt. Thomas D’Onofrio, Hanson stepped from behind the wall dividing bays one and two of the three-bay police station garage as Kranefuss was backing into bay two. He was turning his Ford sports utility vehicle around. The collision dented the fender of Kranefuss’ Ford.
Hanson should not have cut through the police parking area. Kranefuss may not have had any time to react as she appeared from behind the wall. But the accident is nonetheless tragic.
A woman who knew her said that Hanson may have “lost the will to live” after losing the strength to stroll through Stoneham, her favorite activity.
Hanson is survived by her brother, Richard, who lives in a nursing home and is also mentally handicapped.
Wake at Finnegan’s, 6-8 p.m. Thursday. Funeral Mass at St. Pat’s, 9 a.m. Friday.
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