Boston bike activist Louisa Gag hit by truck, killed while cycling to work at City Hall, mayor "devastated"

Louisa Gag, a Boston bike activist who was dedicated to making streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, was killed in a crash in Roxbury Thursday. 

The 36-year-old was riding her bike on Tremont Street near Roxbury Crossing when she was hit by a truck just after 8:15 a.m. The driver stopped at the scene. 

The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition, which works to reduce traffic deaths in the state, said Gag was on her way to work at City Hall at the time. She died at the scene. 

Gag began working for Mayor Michelle Wu's office as a policy fellow before becoming a transportation planner for the city of Boston. She dedicated her career to ensuring that the city was safer and more accessible, according to the mayor. Gag had previously worked at Livable Streets Alliance, a nonprofit transportation advocacy group in Cambridge.

In a statement, Wu said she was "heartbroken" by Gag's sudden death.

"I am absolutely devastated by this unfathomable loss for our community and our City. I will miss her terribly," the mayor said. "Our hearts are with her family, friends, colleagues, and all whose lives she touched as a beloved daughter of Roslindale and a bright light in our community."

The Zero Coalition called for action in the wake of Gag's death and said that she was "dedicated to fixing the very system that failed her." 

"Fatalities are a heartbreaking reminder of the safety gaps in our infrastructure. Inaction and needless delays have consequences. Changes must be made to dangerous streets before we lose a community member, not after," the coalition said in a statement.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said that his office is investigating Gag's death. No charges have been filed at this point in the investigation.