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The Middlesex District Attorney’s office is seeking criminal charges against the SUV driver that struck and killed cyclist John H. Corcoran ’84 in September, a spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
The prosecution has filed an application for a criminal complaint against the unidentified driver, according to Meghan Kelly, a spokesperson for the DA’s office. The application will now go before a clerk-magistrate, who will hold a probable cause hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to criminally charge the driver. The specific charges have not yet been disclosed.
The Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section finished investigating the crash at the beginning of March — more than five months after Corcoran’s death.
The driver was described as a “man in his 20s” by Massachusetts State Police shortly after the crash.
Cambridge averages more than 100 bicycle-involved crashes every year, according to a city analysis of crash data. Last summer, two cyclists in Cambridge were hit and killed by box trucks. MSP confirmed that investigations for both cases are still open.
Corcoran’s death brought cyclists’ safety concerns back to the forefront of city debate, as residents called on elected officials to invest in improving safety measures across Cambridge.
Jack B. Corcoran ’25, John Corcoran’s son, wrote in a statement that the criminal charges are a “big step in the right direction towards achieving justice.”
“This is a big day for my family, for the city of Cambridge, and for bikers everywhere,” he added.
Police wrote in a statement that an initial investigation into the crash found the SUV driver lost control of the car and swerved onto the sidewalk, striking and killing Corcoran as he was biking on Memorial Drive near Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse.
That particular stretch of Memorial Drive had been a point of concern for years, amassing safety warnings from local politicians and bike safety advocates alike.
“While charges are being pursued as a step toward accountability for John Corcoran’s tragic death, we must be clear that this action alone does not fix the persistent safety issues on Memorial Drive,” Chris A. Cassa, a volunteer with advocacy group Cambridge Bike Safety, wrote in a statement.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation lowered speed limits and improved infrastructure on Memorial Drive near the Boston University Bridge just weeks after Corcoran was killed.
Still, the city has dragged out the construction of a 25-mile separated bike lane network as residents continue to object to construction plans. Despite briefly delaying the deadline, the bike lanes must be completed by May 2026.
“Despite improvements like the new shared use path, the parkway’s design remains dangerous—with two lanes still open on the overpass and a wide onramp that leads to a dangerous merge,” Cassa wrote.
“This is a somber reminder that real, structural changes are urgently needed by the DCR and MassDOT to protect our community,” he added.
—Staff writer Matan H. Josephy can be reached matan.josephy@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @matanjosephy.
—Staff writer Laurel M. Shugart can be reached at laurel.shugart@thecrimson.com. Follow them on X @laurelmshugart.
