Gordon Wood, one of the most accomplished historians and literary figures in the U.S., died tragically in a collision June 7 at the age of 92 in Rhode Island.
A Facebook post shared by East Providence Police (EPP) alleged a male, later revealed to be Wood by GoLocal, was struck and killed by a motorist. The historian’s daughter confirmed his passing to WPRI and The New York Times.
“Officers were dispatched to the Shaw’s Supermarket parking lot on Taunton Avenue for a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle. Upon the officer’s arrival, they began treating a 92-year-old male from Providence who sustained serious injuries in the crash,” the EPP statement read.
“The male was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.”
Police continued, “The female operator of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with investigators.”
“The Traffic/Crash Reconstruction Team and Detective Division are investigating the crash. At this time the operator has not faced any charges,” they said.
They went on to thank members of the community who called 911 and “assisted on scene before first responders arrived.”
The police did not disclose the age or identity of the female driver. (RELATED: Actor’s Girlfriend Breaks Silence After Son Arrested For Allegedly Fatal Stabbing)
HORRIBLE. RIP.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author and Historian Gordon Wood Hit and Killed in Motor Accident https://t.co/j5SW0Zq3rg
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D. (@neoavatara) June 8, 2026
The famed author was a 1993 Pulitzer Prize winner, and was long-considered a leading Revolutionary era historian. He was a highly esteemed scholar who was respected for his work, “The Radicalism of the American Revolution.” Among his many accolades, Wood has a vast collection of academic awards, and was honored with the National Humanities Medal in 2010.
Cato Institute adjunct scholar Joshua Claybourn also said Wood, who he called his friend, died after a car accident in a post June 8 on X. “He was, in my view, the finest historian of America’s founding—which makes it all the sadder that he did not live to see the nation’s 250th birthday,” he wrote.
He left behind an impactful legacy that will endure for years to come.