Prominent art collector, 79, killed in Back Bay hit and run

"A man is facing murder charges after allegedly he drove into the Commonwealth Mall in Back Bay Saturday morning, striking and killing a well-known art collector and his dog before fleeing. Prosecutors allege William Haney, 42, "intentionally" hit John Axelrod, 79, while he was walking his dog on Commonwealth Avenue Mall, a boulevard-style park the stretches from Kenmore Square to the Public Garden."

"The pedestrian, identified as Axelrod by prosecutors, was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Axelrod was an honorary advisor at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, where a gallery was named in his honor in 2009. With the vehicle's registration information, police in Brookline located the vehicle unoccupied. After an investigation, police arrested Haney. Haney, a Boston resident, is expected to be arraigned on charges of murder and cruelty to animals, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office announced Sunday."

"Axelrod, 79, was a prominent art collector and philanthropist, with an eponymous collection of African American artwork at the MFA, the museum confirmed in a statement. "A generous supporter and passionate advocate for underrepresented artists, John had been a part of the MFA family since the 1980s," the museum said. "His legacy will live on at the Museum through the John Axelrod Collection - a transformative acquisition of nearly 70 works by Black artists.""

William Haney, 42, is charged with murder and animal cruelty after prosecutors allege he intentionally struck and killed 79-year-old John Axelrod and Axelrod’s dog on Commonwealth Avenue Mall in Back Bay. Boston police responded just after 8 a.m. to the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Hereford Street after a driver entered the mall and a pedestrian was struck; the driver fled the scene. The pedestrian was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead. Police located the unoccupied vehicle in Brookline using registration information and arrested Haney after an investigation. Axelrod was an honorary advisor to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the John Axelrod Collection comprises nearly 70 works by Black artists.

Read at Boston.com