On Monday, MBTA transit police were still in the Norwood Central commuter rail lot, a day after a horrific snowplow accident killed a 51-year-old Norwood woman, as a powerful weekend snowstorm hit Massachusetts.
On Lenox Street, a man who wanted to be identified only as Mike told Boston 25 News reporter Bob Ward that he saw police lights on the street and later learned what happened.
“I’m shocked by what happened right here in my front yard,” he said.
MBTA Transit Police identified the deceased as Noriko Rapley, 51, of Norwood.
MBTA identifies woman who was struck and killed by plow while walking with husband in commuter rail parking lot
Her husband, Joseph Rapley, 47, was also struck as the couple walked through the parking lot together.
He was discharged from a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Bob Ward spoke with her at her Norwood home, but she did not want to be interviewed.
“Thoughts and prayers to Mr. I can’t imagine going through that. Heartbreaking,” said John Retz of Norwood.
According to transit police, the couple was rear-ended by an independent contractor snowplow driver operating a Ford 350 truck around 2 a.m. Sunday as they tried to clear the parking lot.
Authorities said the driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with detectives.
Neighbors told Ward that at the time of the fatal crash, it was snowing heavily.
“It was hard to see, it really was, it was coming down a lot,” Judy Thibeau said.
Dr. Noriko Oshiro-Rapley was a researcher and instructor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Boston 25 News reached out for a statement, which provided the following:
Noriko was an exceptional scientist whose work was driven by rigor, creativity and a deep commitment to understanding human biology. Most recently, his research has focused on the biology of the gut, with the goal of advancing new therapeutic approaches for diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and food allergy. He had a rare ability to make complex biological systems experimentally tractable, combining deep expertise in cell and molecular biology with innovative model systems. Through creative use of intestinal organoids, his work has pushed the boundaries of cell and tissue modeling and uncovered previously unknown mechanisms linking genetics, intestinal physiology, autoimmunity, and allergy. Her scientific rigor was matched only by her honesty, which centered on who she was.
Noriko’s influence on our community lasted for many years. He began his career at MGH in 2008 as a research scientist in the Department of Molecular Biology and Medicine. In 2019, he became a Dr. Ramnik joined the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology (CCIB) under Xavier, where she continued to push scientific frontiers with remarkable talent, curiosity and dedication. In addition to her many scientific contributions, Noriko was a kind and generous colleague—always ready to help others, lift spirits with a thoughtful word, or share a homemade dessert. She touched the lives of those around her in lasting and meaningful ways, and she will be deeply missed.
There is no charge in the case.
Authorities did not identify the snowplow driver, saying only that he is 33 years old and is cooperating with the investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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