Our municipal cone crisis continues. A concerned citizen (ed. note: Please note I did not write "cone-cerned" again) reports somebody used steel wire to attach a traffic cone to a tree on Charter Street.

The scene. Photograph by Cory Gardner.

Updated with MIT info.

Kanako Miura, 36, a visiting scientist at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, died this afternoon when she was struck by a dump truck, MIT and Stanley Staco report.

Boston Police report the victim was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the 3:30 p.m. incident.

A mangled silver and black bicycle, believed to be hers, was found several blocks away on Bay State Road at Silber Way, Brian D'Amico reports.

Aston Martin Lagonda and an Aston Martin dealership in Waltham are racing at each other full speed in a dispute over whether the car company - whose cheapest model goes for $122,400 - can open another dealership in Wayland.

Aston Martin of New England on Linden Street in Waltham, says the plan would cut its sales dramatically and wants $3 million in damages. The dealership is currently the only place in all of New England to buy a new Aston Martin.

WBZ reports.

Look at the traffic on North Street.

The van in Union Square. Photo by Melina Schuler.

Update: The Globe reports the victim, 12, died.

A pedestrian was hit by a van shortly after 7 a.m. on Cambridge Street near the intersection with Brighton Avenue, right by the fire station. Scott Eisen reports the person was in "traumatic arrest," which is not a good sign.

Traffic quickly gridlocked as police closed streets to allow EMTs to care for the victim and so that they could investigate what happened.

When and where was this photo taken? From the Boston City Archives, natch. See it larger.

A flood of complaints poured in late this afternoon from downtown, the Back Bay and Beacon Hill, where a large contingent of people on dirt bikes, motorcycles and ATVs briefly took over the streets.

At 5:26, Gabe tweeted:

A legit gang of a couple dozen 4wheelers and dirtbikes just ran the red light at Washington & Essex street...confused.

At 5:47, Caitlin tweeted: