Home About Archives RSS Feed

High-Speed Chase Ends in Crash

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A high-speed chase on Saturday night ended with a single-car crash on Route 2 that sent three of the vehicle's occupants to the hospital.

According to police, Michael Gancarz, 18, of Lime Street, Adams, was traveling north on Howland Avenue at speeds in excess of 100 mph in a 2006 Subaru Impreza at about 9:30.

The vehicle was totaled; booms can be seen near where the car landed to contain any oil leakage.

Adams Police pursued and contacted North Adams Police. Within minutes, the Subaru had smashed through the guardrails and a stop sign at the intersection of Curran Memorial Highway and South State Street, near The Range miniature golf course.

The car went airborne and landed in a ditch near the near a body of  water.

Passengers Justin Meczywor, 17, of Clarksburg and two girls whose names were not released because of their ages were taken to North Adams Regional Hospital.

Gancarz was charged by Adams Police with operating a vehicle with intent to endanger, failing to stop for police, a marked-lanes violation and speeding.

 

 

Tags: motor vehicle, accident, injuries      

Williamstown Accident Sends Three to Hospital

Williamstown Police Department

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The three-car accident in front of the Spruces on Tuesday afternoon sent the three people involved to the hospital.

According to police, Elin Ozdemir, 79, of Emerald Lane, the Spruces, was stopped in the eastbound lane of Main Street waiting to turn left into the mobile home park at about 3:20 p.m. when she was struck from behind by a 2002 Honda Odyssey operated by Nicole Deblois, 38, of Dalton.

The collision pushed Ozdemir's 1992 Plymouth Acclaim into the westbound lane of Main Street, where she was then struck by a westbound 2010 Ford Escape, operated by Lenore Freeman, 61, of Williamstown.

Ozdemir's Plymouth ended up perpendicular to Main Street in the middle of the roadway. Deblois' Honda ended up on the eastbound sidewalk at the intersection with Hamel Avenue. Freeman's Ford veered right, jumped the curb, and traveled across the Spruces lawn, coming to rest near the fence of the Spruce's pool.

Williamstown Police and Fire, along with Village and North Adams Ambulance services responded to the scene. The Fire Department used the Jaws of Life to assist in extracting Ozdemir from her Plymouth.

All three operators were the sole occupants of their vehicles and all three were transported to North Adams Regional Hospital. None of the injuries appeared to be life threatening.

All three vehicles were towed from the scene, each with extensive damage. Deblois was cited for following too closely.

Tags: motor vehicle, accident, injuries      

Pittsfield Woman Injured in New Ashford Crash

Staff Reports

NEW ASHFORD, Mass. — A Pittsfield woman was injured in a single-car crash on Thursday morning on Route 7.

Guadalupe Santiago-Castro, 23, was transported to Berkshire Medical Center after apparently losing control of her 2003 Trailblazer just north of The Mill on the Floss restaurant on New Ashford Road. The accident was reported at 9:10 a.m. and witnesses at the scene described her as appearing to be badly injured.

Santiago-Castro is being cited for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, failure to keep to right when view is obstructed and marked lanes violation.

A state police spokesman had no further information on the accident.

Tags: motor vehicle, accident, injuries      

Great Barrington Crashes Leave Two Dead

Staff Reports

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Police are investigating two serious motor vehicle crashes on Wednesday afternoon that left two dead.

According to police, the first accident occurred at 12:50 p.m. Janet E. Chase, 62, of Sheffield died on the scene when her BMW sedan veered into the northbound lane of Route 7, just north of the Sheffield/Great Barrington line, and crashed head-on with a Honda minivan in the northbound lane. The van was driven by Maureen L Boisvert, 50, of Needham. Boisvert was taken to Berkshire Medical Center with severe injuries.

While state and local police were investigating that accident, a vehicle backing out of Timberlyn Heights nursing home on Maple Avenue (Route 23) was struck by a westbound vehicle. Phillip Hoffman, 90, of Sandisfield died at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield overnight as a result of the crash. His wife, Ann, 88, is at Berkshire Medical Center with "life-threatening injuries" as of Thursday.

The other driver, Brian K. Deland, Jr., 34, of Ashley Falls, was treated and released from Fairview Hospital.

That accident occurred at 3:10 p.m. and is being investigated by state and local police. 

Also last night a Jeep Cherokee collided with a tractor-trailer near the New York state border on Route 20 in Hancock.The driver of the Jeep was taken to Berkshire Medical Center while the driver of the truck was unhurt. Route 20 was shut down for more than an hour.
 

Tags: fatal, motor vehicle, accident, injuries      

Icy Conditions Cause Multiple Crashes in Lenox

Nichole Dupont

LENOX, Mass. — Four motor vehicle accidents involving at least 10 cars stopped traffic on routes 7 and 20 in both the north and southbound lanes early this morning.

According to a press release issued by Police Chief Stephen O’Brien, officers from the Lenox Police Department were responding to a two-car, head-on crash that occurred around 7 a.m. when other vehicles were forced off the road because of extremely icy conditions. In addition to Lenox Police, Lenox Fire Department and state police as well as County Ambulance were called to the scene to assist.

One eyewitness, Brian Sisco of Sheffield, said he was driving through Lenox at 8 a.m. on his way to work when he met up with black ice and bumper-to-bumper traffic in the north and southbound lanes.

"I was coming up through Lee on Route 20 and Lee was fine," he said. "But once Route 7 came up on the bypass that's when things got ugly. There was a road block both ways at Walker Street and they were sending people right or left. The road was definitely slick with black ice. At one point at a stop light my tires were spinning. The roads weren't sanded or salted or anything."

The first accident included what appeared to be a small light-colored pickup or sport utility vehicle with heavy front-end damage. The second vehicle was over the banking of the northbound lane. Emergency vehicles were parked along the side of the road for nearly 100 yards.

A light snow was falling over Pittsfield and South County in the early morning hours. Roadways were slushy through much of the region.

According to Sisco, traffic was backed up for at least a mile and half as police and rescue workers tried to handle one crash after another, saying there were at least three flatbeds and two tow trucks trying to clear away disabled vehicles. 

"I drove through Great Barrington at about 6:30 this morning and the roads were fine; sanded and salted. The same through Stockbridge and Lee," he said. "It did not look slippery at all. There was snow covering the roads but it just looked wet. You would think that because there are so many people who drive up Route 7 to get to work that that road would be salted as well. Pittsfield was fine, too. They had already sanded."

The road was finally opened again at 8 a.m. when it was deemed passable by police. At least eight people were transported to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. Although none were reported to have life-threatening injuries, investigators are still compiling operator and vehicle information. Police said one accident involved eight vehicles.

Tags: motor vehicle, accident, ice, injuries      
Page 1 of 3 1  2  3  

Support Local News

We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.

How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

News Headlines
Pittsfield Super Details Emergency Communication with Families
Weekend Outlook: Bazaars, First Friday and Day of the Dead
Are your heirs ready to receive an inheritance?
Berkshire Organizations Awarded Food Security Infrastructure Grants
MCLA Announces the MountainOne Fund
Greylock Federal Promotes Assistant Vice President, Market Manager
Greylock School Project Moves Into Detailed Design Stage
MCLA Awaits for News on Donor Gift
Lanesborough Select Board Decreases Bailey Road Speed Limit
Pittsfield Licensing Board Says Bar Responded Properly to Melee

Police Logs

Pittsfield Police

North Adams

Crimewatch Links

North Adams CrimeWatch

Stamford/Clarksburg CrimeWatch

Pittsfield CrimeWatch

Emergency: 911
Adams 413-743-1212
Clarksburg 413-663-7795
Cheshire 413-743-1501
Dalton 413-684-0300
Great Barrington 413-528-0306
Lanesborough 413-443-4107
Lee 413-243-2100
Lenox 413-637-2346
North Adams 413-664-4944
Pittsfield 413-448-9700
Richmond 413-698-3315
Stockbridge 413-298-4179
Williamstown 413-458-5733
West Stockbridge 413-232-7938
State Police  
Cheshire Barracks
413-743-
4700
Lee Barracks 413-243-0600
Shaftsbury, Vt., Barracks 802-442-3263

 



Categories:
Adams (92)
Alford (0)
Becket (8)
Cheshire (23)
Clarksburg (41)
Dalton (6)
Egremont (2)
Florida (9)
Great Barrington (34)
Hancock (5)
Hinsdale (5)
Lanesborough (30)
Lee (14)
Lenox (11)
Monterey (0)
Mount Washington (1)
New Ashford (4)
New Marlborough (2)
North Adams (248)
Otis (2)
Peru (3)
Pittsfield (318)
Pownal (16)
Readsboro (17)
Richmond (10)
Sandisfield (5)
Savoy (6)
Sheffield (5)
Stamford (31)
State (1)
Stockbridge (6)
Tyringham (1)
Washington (1)
West Stockbridge (1)
Williamstown (79)
Windsor (3)
Archives:
Tags:
Heroin Rape Hit & Run Fraud Homicide Armed Robbery Motor Vehicle Accident Missing Persons Veremko Police Investigation Pedestrians Larceny Mvi Injuries Fatal Murder Structure Fire Drugs Assaults Stabbing Search Shooting Motorcycles Fire Break-ins Search & Rescue Drug Charges Accident Crime Watch Burglary Motor Vehicle Robbery Vehicle Buglaries Assault
Popular Entries:
Superior Court Briefs: March 14 - March 16
Fatal Accident Closes Route 8 in Adams
Superior Court Briefs: May 2 - May 6
Woman Pleads Guilty in Sandisfield Fatal Crash
Superior Court Briefs: March 28 - March 31
Pittsfield Woman Pleads Guilty in Husband's Slaying
Superior Court Briefs: May 18 - 19
Superior Court Briefs: March 23 - March 24
Superior Court Briefs: March 8 - March 11
New Ashford Crash Turns Fatal for Williamstown Man
Recent Entries:
State Police Bust $3M Illegal Pot Growing Operation in Savoy
First-Responders Searching for Lost Hiker on Mount Greylock
Pittsfield Driver Injured in Elm Street Accident
North Adams Police Investigate Possible Shooting Incident
Williamstown Police Looking into Cemetery Vandalism
Florida Woman Dies in Motorcycle Accident
Pittsfield Fire Responds to Kitchen Blaze
Juvenile Arrested in North Adams Shooting
North Adams Police Seeking Information on Shooting Incident
Pittsfield Police Seek Information on Sunday Night Shootings