GREAT BARRINGTON — Flashing crosswalk lights were not working when a pedestrian was struck and fatally wounded on Main Street earlier this month, town officials said.

Gary Fretwell, 70, was crossing outside the Bilmar Veterinary Hospital around 5:15 p.m. Jan. 13 when he was struck by pickup truck heading south, according to interim Police Chief Adam Carlotto.

He was taken to Fairview Hospital with serious injuries and then airlifted to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, where he later died. The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office said it won’t know whether the driver, a 24-year-old from Connecticut, will face charges until the investigation is completed.

During Monday’s Select Board meeting, Town Manager Liz Hartsgrove said officers checked the motion-activated crosswalk lights while responding to the crash and found they were not working.

Great Barrington resident Gary Fretwell, 70, has died from his injuries after being struck by a pickup truck while using the crosswalk that runs across South Main Street near South Reed Street in Great Barrington on January 13.

The lights had passed inspection on Dec. 31, but the day after the accident, the town’s Department of Public Works found the “batteries were failing and not holding a charge,” Hartsgrove said. The batteries were replaced, the system was programmed and the solar panels were realigned on Jan. 15.

Hartsgrove said she will be including three capital improvement initiatives in her budget submission. This includes general crosswalk improvement and funding the master plan initiatives. It also includes revising the 2024 Mass Works Grant application to look at sidewalk extension and lighting improvements for the crosswalk to Brookside Manor.

“This section of Main Street is owned and maintained by the town," she said, "and this incident certainly has underscored the importance and opportunity of being proactive by taking action both in short and long—­range planning through a phased infrastructure improvement approach.”

She extended condolences to Fretwell’s loved ones and thanked the community members who reached out with concerns about public safety.

Fretwell has lived in Great Barrington for over 25 years and was a resident of the Brookside Manor complex, according to people who knew him. For many years, he lived on the corner of Main and Railroad streets.

He was someone everyone seemed to know in passing, Veronica Banach said. Growing up, she often saw him walking dogs through downtown, and years later got to know him better when her husband worked with him at The Marketplace.

Multiple signs warn motorists about an upcoming lighted crosswalk that runs across South Main Street near South Reed Street in Great Barrington.

“Growing up here, there were these permanent fixtures, like these people and personalities that you always knew you would see,” Banach said. “They were just familiar faces every day and he's kind of one of them. He was definitely one of those people who was recognizable and that people knew, even if you didn't know him.”

In a separate interview, Anna Brooke also called Fretwell a "fixture" of Great Barrington, describing countless memories of effortless long chats.

"Gary's just always been a part of Great Barrington," Brooke said. "I was never not happy to see him. He was so warm and so personable and just so easy to get along with, and frankly, really easy to love."

Brooke has known Fretwell since he first moved to town and loved running into him and whatever dog he was taking care of. Her favorite memories with him are simply the summer nights where they just talked with friends.

"I always feel like when animals automatically like a person, that's a really good tell, and animals absolutely loved him," Brooke said.

The last time she saw him was around a month ago, when Banach was picking her kids up from the bus. He was walking a dog while wearing a bright yellow raincoat, an embodiment of who he was.

“You could always pick him out of a crowd,” Banach said. “He just always kind of looked happy coming towards you. He had a very cheerful demeanor, but he's also kind of sarcastic in a way, but very genuine.”

During their brief chat, Fretwell told Banach all about the tulip bulbs he and a buddy had planted at the apartment complex and how excited he was for spring to see them grow.

“I keep thinking about the garden that he planted," she said, "and it just makes me so sad because he was so excited about it.”