Great Barrington — Resident Gary Fretwell, 70, died on Friday, January 23, 10 days after he was hit by a pickup truck while crossing at a crosswalk near Bilmar Veterinary Services at 776 South Main Street.
After the accident on Tuesday, January 13, The Berkshire Edge contacted Interim Police Chief Adam Carlotto, Town Manager Liz Hartsgrove, and Selectboard Chair Steve Bannon, requesting information about the accident. They did not respond to those requests for comment.
However, Town Manager Hartsgrove did speak about the accident during the Selectboard meeting on Monday, January 26. Other details about the accident and Fretwell’s life were confirmed by multiple readers who contacted The Berkshire Edge.
Fretwell, a resident of Brookside Manor senior housing, was using the crosswalk when he was struck by a pickup truck. “Officers tested the crosswalk flashing warning system and found that it was not activating as intended,” Hartsgrove said at the Selectboard meeting. “The town’s Department of Public Works immediately reviewed maintenance records and conducted follow-up inspections. Although the system had been tested and verified as operational on December 31, it was determined at that January 14 site visit that the batteries were failing and not holding a charge.”
Hartsgrove said that two new batteries were installed on Thursday, January 15, two days after the accident. “The system was fully tested, reprogrammed, and the solar panels realigned,” she said. “ I want to extend my sincere condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the pedestrian involved in this tragic accident. I also want to thank the many community members who have reached out since then with their concerns and their suggestions. Public safety is my top priority, and your voices are essential as we work to make your streets safer.”
Hartsgrove added that the section of Main Street where Fretwell was struck is owned and maintained by the town and that “this incident certainly has underscored the importance and opportunity of being proactive by taking action in both short- and long-range planning through a phased infrastructure improvement approach consistent with the town’s mission to serve the community with integrity, accountability, and a commitment to public safety.”
Hartsgrove did not provide additional details of the accident, including the identity of the operator of the vehicle that struck Fretwell or whether they would face charges for the accident.
After the accident, Fretwell spent 10 days in a coma at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield before he died on January 26.
One of Fretwell’s friends, Marco Greenberg, who used to live in Great Barrington before moving to New York City, said that he and Fretwell’s other friends and family are all devastated by Fretwell’s death. “Gary was someone who called it like he saw it and would want to make sure that his death was not in vain,” Greenberg said. “If his death can make the area safer for pedestrians, he would be the first to want to make this happen.”
Greenberg called his friend Fretwell “a renaissance man.” “He was admired and loved by so many across the Berkshires,” Greenberg said. “He was a very recognizable figure, and he was known for his kindness and his sense of humor, which I would describe as a dry sense of humor; his incredible loyalty; and his highly refined esthetic.”
Greenberg said Fretwell worked in various roles over the years: a maître d’ at the now-closed Napa Wine Bar and Eatery, an antique store owner, and a pet sitter.
“[Fretwell] was just the sweetest guy,” friend and former Great Barrington resident Stacey Nelkin said. “He really integrated himself into the community. He loved people, and people would love him. We would run into him all the time at our local coffee spot. Gary would always be there and join us.”
“Kindness was his number one attribute,” Greenberg said. “He acted as an incredible and loving caretaker for my mom, who later died of COVID. He will be sorely missed.”
