Former Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn had a defibrillator implanted after he experienced an “aborted sudden cardiac arrest” last week, which caused a motor vehicle accident on Thursday, Feb. 11.
Flynn’s doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital believe “he developed an irregular heart rhythm that led to a drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness,” according to a statement from Frank Doyle, spokesman for the Flynn family.
Early Thursday afternoon, an accident was reported on Flint Place in South Boston, the small, dead end street where Flynn lives. A one-car accident was reported at 12:46 p.m. Thursday, according to Boston Police Lt. Michael McCarthy.
Boston Police Captain John Greland posted photos online Thursday of a motor vehicle accident “near Marine Road,” the road off of which Flint Place is located. The images shared by Greland show a large hole in a brick foundation of a building and a vehicle with a broken windshield and covered in debris, which appears to be from the same building.
“After working out at the Boston Athletic Club for a couple of hours this morning, I drove home and while parking my car on my street, I got weak and completely passed out. Minutes later I woke up, but my car unfortunately had crashed into another house on my street,” Flynn wrote in a statement. “Thank God nobody got hurt.”
Flynn was taken to MGH by ambulance following this accident, according to Doyle.
“The team at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center performed a number of cardiac tests to ascertain the cause of the blackout. Late (Friday) afternoon, Mayor Flynn underwent an implantation of a defibrillator, a device designed to recognize potential problems and protect Mayor Flynn from future irregular heart rhythms,” Doyle wrote in the statement.
“The Mayor is home now resting and recuperating,” Doyle wrote in an email Monday evening. Flynn was seen walking on East Broadway in South Boston on Tuesday morning.
“The Mayor is a vigorous 76 year-old gentleman, who walked 5 miles the day before this occurred and was at the gym not long before his accident. Out of abundance of caution, we recommended placement of a defibrillator to protect the Mayor from risk for future arrhythmia,” said Dr. James Januzzi, Flynn’s cardiologist, according to Doyle’s statement.
“It is the belief of the MGH cardiology team that Mayor Flynn will be well protected from any further events,” Doyle wrote. “Mayor Flynn and his family are deeply grateful to his MGH cardiology team led by Dr. Januzzi for their compassionate care and extraordinary clinical expertise. They are also very appreciative of all the prayers and thoughtful expressions of support from so many friends and, particularly, Mayor Walsh who has been so very kind.”
MV accident near Marine Rd pic.twitter.com/p5NFLEQuIW
— John GrelandBPD (@captaingreland) February 11, 2016
MV accident near Marine Rd pic.twitter.com/ENi7Rzvmnt
— John GrelandBPD (@captaingreland) February 11, 2016