Randolph veteran killed crossing street for mailbox, widow blames unsafe traffic flow

RANDOLPH, Mass. — A grandfather and Vietnam veteran died crossing his own street to get the mail and his family is now hoping to make things a bit safer for his neighbors.

His widow told FOX25 their road has always been dangerous.

“It was all for two pieces of mail, he was sprawled out and he had the two pieces of mail in his hand,” Linda Brady said.

A safety vest was on the family’s mailbox on Lafayette Street in Randolph Monday as a reminder to slow down. It was also a memorial Linda’s husband, who was killed there last month as he crossed the street to get his mail.

“I heard a horrific crash, which we hear many times on this street, but it was particularly loud that night,” Linda said.

Kent Brady, a Vietnam veteran and grandfather of five was just 68 years old.

“I found him face down on the front of the car and he was gurgling and he was bleeding profusely and the traffic was absolutely horrendous that night,” Linda said.

Just in the past six months, there have been 13 crashes on Lafayette Street, including another one that involved a pedestrian in December, but that pedestrian survived.

Drivers use Lafayette as a cut-through between I-93 and Route 24.

Linda's neighbors have petitioned the town to change the traffic pattern and find ways to cut down on speeding.

The town says they're studying it.

Linda also wants to move her mailbox to the same side of the street as her house.

The post office told FOX25, "decisions impacting changes to delivery methods are coordinated at the local and district levels on a case-by-case basis."

Linda says it's too late for Kent, but she'd like to save another family from the heartache she's experiencing.

Cox Media Group