‘Unimaginable’: Wife dead, husband injured after being struck by truck plowing snow in MBTA parking lot in Norwood
NORWOOD, MASS. (WHDH) – A woman is dead and her husband was injured after they were struck by a pickup truck that was removing snow from a parking lot in Norwood on Sunday afternoon, transit police said.
Transit police identified the woman as 51-year-old Dr. Noriko Oshiro-Rapley.
Officers responding to a report of pedestrians struck in the Norwood Central parking lot around 2 p.m. determined a non-MBTA employee working for a private company contracted by the MBTA for snow removal was driving a Ford F350 pickup truck in reverse when he struck Dr. Oshiro-Rapley and her 47-year-old husband, according to transit police.
Dr. Oshiro-Rapley was pronounced dead. Her husband was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is now home recovering.
“I’ve spoken with her husband. It’s devastating,” said Governor Maura Healey. “It’s heartbreaking and my heart goes out to their family. Very, very sorry to see that. Really, really unfortunate.”
The plow operator, a 33-year-old man, remained on scene and was cooperative with transit police detectives.
People who live near the train station said it was near white-out conditions during the storm.
“It was just snow blowing everywhere. It was hard to see anything,” said John Reetz, who lives in the area. “The conditions — its rough. I haven’t seen anything like this in a long time. I think the visibility was tough out there.”
In a statement, police said, “This is an unimaginable horrific incident. On behalf of the Transit Police and the entire MBTA organization we express our most sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends. Our thought and prayers are with them.”
Dr. Oshiro-Rapley was a researcher and Instructor in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Molecular Biology and Medicine. Those who knew her say she was an accomplished scientist whose work and mentorship touched many.
Transit Police detectives in consultation with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office are currently investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident. No charges have been filed.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox
