Massachusetts

Candlelight Vigil Held for Beloved Teacher Killed in Somerville Hit-and-Run Crash

40-year-old Allison Donovan was remembered as someone who always had a smile on her face and was uplifting

A beloved Massachusetts educator was remembered one week after the deadly hit-and-run crash that claimed her life.

Friends and community members gathered for a candlelight vigil at the intersection of Powderhouse Boulevard and Hardan Road in Somerville, where Allison Donovan was hit and killed around 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 8, just down the street from her home.

The 40-year-old educator was remembered as someone who was always uplifting, someone with a smile on her face.

“This group of teenagers have grown up and she has been amazing to them,” said Donovan's friend, Gretchen Neeley.

“I remember so many instances in first, second, and fifth grade when I came in, maybe I wasn’t having the best day, and she always knew how to put a smile not only on my face, but the faces of all the other students,” said Honor Petrie, one of Donovan's former students. 

The vigil took place on the same day that 55-year-old Edward Clark of Norwood was arraigned for the hit and run.

Clark told investigators he thought he hit a construction cone, but later said he believed he struck a person and was too afraid to stop at the scene or come forward after he realized the extent of the damage.

Prosecutors also say Clark tried to cover it all up, when he went to Home Depot to buy items to repair his truck.

Clark’s driving record shows he’s been involved in at least eight accidents before this.

He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail, but can’t drive and must wear a GPS monitoring bracelet.

Donovan’s friends say they’re thankful a Tufts University police officer spotted Clark’s truck, and that he was caught, but they say they’ll always miss their dear friend.

“Her family has been hit hard, her brother died a year ago ‘out of the blue’ and it’s tough," said Erica Dorenkamp, "but she’s a good, warm, caring person who just cares about everybody.”

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