Driver who struck and killed 5-year-old Massachusetts girl will not face charges, civil suit planned by family

The driver in a pedestrian crash earlier this year that killed a 5-year-old girl will not be charged.

About 5:15 p.m. on May 9th, 911 operators received a report of a pedestrian being struck by a tractor trailer truck at the intersection of Elm and Main Streets in Andover.

Sidney Olson was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the truck stopped and cooperated with police.

Several people who also were in the crosswalk at the time were not struck but taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

According to Boston 25 and a release by the Essex County DA, “the investigative findings do not provide sufficient evidence to seek criminal charges against the driver of the tractor trailer. The driver was stopped at the intersection. As he began to advance forward on the light turning green, he was unable to see Ms. Olson traveling on her scooter in the crosswalk below. The driver was not impaired by any substances and immediately came to a controlled stop after the collision.”

Olson’s family is reportedly pursuing civil charges against the driver.

The family released a statement at the time of Olson’s death.

“On Tuesday night, our family was walking to art class on Main Street in Andover. Our five-year-old daughter, Sidney, and one other family member traversed the cross walk on Elm Street, as the Walk sign showed it was still safe to cross. As long-time residents of the neighborhood, we’ve followed that route hundreds of times before. The rest was a blur, and Sidney was struck by a truck and killed, leaving an impossible void in our lives.

“Sidney was a bright-eyed, energetic girl with springy curls. She was in the Springboard to Kindergarten program at SHED school in Andover, where she was known for her soft-spoken curiosity, and her budding ability to deescalate conflict and find common ground in groups.

“She was fiercely creative, styling her own outfits, choreographing elaborate performances, and filling our home with her unique brand of abstract art, unlike anything we’ve seen. She picked flowers everywhere she went, often plucking a rose from the garden in front of Enterprise Bank, despite her parents’ objections. She memorized every lyric to a dozen Taylor Swift songs, gladly taking the microphone to sing along in crowded karaoke sessions.

“She was an explorer, whether she was roaming the mountains near our Warren, Vermont home in search of porcupine tracks, or circling the New England Aquarium, sea life book in tow, circling her favorites from splashy stingrays to the sleepy octopus.

“For her last birthday, she wanted a rainbow theme because ‘it includes everyone’s favorite color.’ Our greatest hope is that Sidney’s boundless love for everyone encourages others to look out for the common good of our community following this tragedy.

“This intersection has long been considered dangerous. While we’re not engineers, we also know our community can do better.

“We hope the town makes fast changes to that and other high-traffic intersections, so no one has to experience the pain we feel right now.”