Police identified a local man who died after being struck by a vehicle

EAST HARDWICK — Police identified a local man who died after being struck by a vehicle in the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 6. According to Hardwick Police, conditions were foggy when the 3:25 a.m. accident occurred on Route 16, near Molleur Drive. Benjamin Mallery, 28, of Sheffield, was traveling south on Route 16 when the right front bumper of his 2007 Chevy Malibu struck a pedestrian, Maurice Richardson, 86, of Hardwick. Richardson was in the southbound lane and was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash is still under investigation by the Hardwick Police Department and the VSP Crash Reconstruction Team. Mallery was uninjured, and there was no evidence, police stated, to suggest speed or alcohol/drugs were factors.