Truck Pulls Down Tree Limb on North Adams' Church Street

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A tractor-trailer truck heading north on Church Street took down two tree limbs and cable wires when the tree became entangled with the cab's wind deflector.

The incident occurred shortly after noontime in front of the Wilkinson House at 164 Church St. The large limb broke off the tree and pulled down telephone and cable wires, including those connected to the Flood House across the street. No electrical wires were touched and no electricity lost.

"It took down the telephone and the cable lines," said Fire Lt. Michael Sherman. "He was a smart guy ... he stayed right in the cabin truck. He wouldn't get out until he was sure there was no electricity going. He was very smart."

Sherman said the city yard would clean up the tree debris. The large limb is about 20 feet long and broke off the trunk; another smaller limb was also damaged and will have to be removed. The truck is an RL Carriers vehicle. It was able to be driven away.

The street was closed briefly between Pleasant and Quincy streets to allow for cleanup.
 

North Adams Police Officer Crashes Cruiser

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A city police officer sustained minor injuries after his cruiser hit a utility pole on Ashland Street.

Sgt. James Burdick said Officer Joshua Tracy was heading south on Ashland Street on Monday around 11:50 a.m. when he hit a utility pole near where the road intersects with Church Street.

"He was southbound on Ashland Street and heading towards the intersection on Church Street," Burdick said. "He ended up off the road where, he impacted with a phone pole. Cause and reason and all that are still under investigation."

He said, Tracy was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening or severe injuries. He was sworn in as a permanent officer in March.

Burdick said a wrecker towed the 2013 Ford Interceptor away.

"The car didn’t fare so well ... it had well over 100,000 miles on it," Burdick said. "So that is where we are at and it was towed away."

Car Wash Mechanism Falls on Car, Briefly Trapping Driver

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — An elderly Vermont man had to be helped from his car after it got stuck in the automatic car-wash bay at V's Car Wash on State Road on Monday afternoon.

Police, fire and EMS were called to the car wash, located behind the Monro Muffler Brake & Service, around 3:30 p.m. after a report that a piece of the car wash had collapsed on a car and trapped the driver inside.

Police said the driver, whose name was not released, had driven into the bay a little crooked. When he tried to correct, the front tire of the car went over the rails, sending the car into the cleaning mechanism. That machinery then fell onto the front right side of the car, blocking the driver's side door.

The driver was able to get to the passenger seat, where emergency personnel helped him out.

"We assisted him out of the car," North Adams Police Sgt. James Burdick said.

The man was not injured, but he rested on an ambulance stretcher in the shade until a family member came and took him away.

Police and fire officials waited for Mohawk Auto to bring their flat-bed wrecker to remove the Subaru Outback. The car sustained damage to the driver's side mirror and the driver's side panel along the hood of the car.

Utilities were turned off to the six-bay car wash while the operation was taking place and while officials waited for the car wash's owner to come assess the damage to the machinery.

North Adams Police Seek Information on Armed Robbery Suspect

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Police are seeking information on a man who brandished a handgun during an attempted armed robbery on Monday morning.

The incident occurred at about 9:21 a.m. at Quadlands Flowers & Gifts on Holden Street.

The suspect is described as a clean-shaven white man, standing about 5-foot-6, weighing 130 to 140 pounds and with light hair in a buzzcut.

According to police, the man entered the store and brandished a handgun that had been tucked in his waistband. He did not get any money and no one was injured.

The suspect was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt, gym shorts, and had a black backpack. He was running east by Little's Pharmacy on Eagle Street.


Police are asking anyone with information about the suspect or who witnessed him running in this area during this time to contact the detective bureau at 413-662-3105.

North Adams Police Investigate Report of Stabbing

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Police shut down a portion of Church Street on Saturday morning to investigate an apparent stabbing incident.

North Adams Police answered a call around 1 a.m. from a woman near Church Street reporting that someone had been stabbed.

Nearly half an hour later, police received another call that there was a stabbing and the victim was at 181 Church St. and had sustained serious injuries. The victim was transported to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.

State Police investigators tapped off 185-187 Church St. and 181 Church St. and investigated outside and inside of the properties throughout Saturday morning.

The street finally opened again at 1:20 p.m.

The incident is under investigation.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.