7-year-old Massachusetts boy killed in bicycle crash had just learned how to ride “was so proud of himself”

A young Massachusetts child killed in a bicycle crash has been identified and is being remembered.

According to the Berkshire District Attorney, on Friday, at just after 5:30 p.m., the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit was notified of a potentially fatal motor vehicle and bicycle collision in Williamstown, MA. The collision occurred at the Main Street and Buxton Hill Road intersection. The vehicle was traveling East on Main Street. The bicyclist was traveling down Buxton Hill Road toward Main Street. Preliminary information suggests that the bicyclist unintentionally entered Main Street where they (singular) were struck by the involved vehicle. The bicyclist succumbed to their injuries at the scene of the collision. The driver of the vehicle was not impaired by alcohol or drugs. The bicyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.

The bicyclist was a 7-year-old Max Curtis Rothschild of Williamstown.

According to an obituary, “Max had just learned how to ride a bike and was so proud of himself. He was practicing getting ready for a longer bike ride on an upcoming family vacation.”

“Everyone who met Max was struck by how smart he was. He loved math and loved learning. He had an incredible sense of direction and always knew where he was and where he was going.”

The investigation remains active.

First responders included the Williamstown Police Department; the Williamstown Fire Department; Northern Berkshire EMS; MSP Cheshire Barracks; MSP Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section; and the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner accepted the case.