BECKET, Mass. — A North Adams man was killed Thursday afternoon while working on the Massachusetts Turnpike near mile-marker 17.2.
Authorities say Brian M. Simard, 26, was killed in a "work site accident" at 1:45 p.m. Simard, a construction worker, was pronounced dead at the scene. His obituary can be found here.
"No further details will be released at this time as the accident remains under investigation," states a press release from the Berkshire district attorney's office.
The westbound lane of the MassPike was blocked for nearly three hours. State police from the Westfield barracks are leading the investigation.
The bridge over Route 20 at that mile marker has been undergoing repairs this fall although it was not on the list for lane restrictions on Thursday.
The state police Collision Reconstruction, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Crime Scene and Berkshire detective units also responded to the scene and Occupational Safety and Health Administration was advised of the incident, according to authorities.
Complete write-thru at 1 p.m., Nov. 16; victim's identity added. Original post at 9:54 a.m., Nov. 16.
The slate roof kept heat and fire inside the apartment. Firefighters had to punch a hole through the roof for ventilation.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Four people are displaced after a fire tore through the rear of their South Church Street home.
Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski said firefighters responded at 12:24 Saturday afternoon to the call at 7 South Church St. One of the occupants, who was the only one home at the time, of the two-family home heard the smoke alarm and then found a fire on the rear porch. He escaped the building through the front stairway.
"On arrival, there was heavy fire on the second floor rear. Guys made an interior attack, knocked down a lot of the fire on the inside of the second floor," Czerwinski said.
The cause of the fire had not yet been determined at the scene but later fire investigators found cause to be the careless disposal of smoking materials. The fire had started on the porch and it spread into the apartment and into the attic. The fire did not fall to the first floor.
"We think the wind may have had a play in the spread of the fire. Because of a strong wind coming out of the west, it kind of blew it into that apartment. The other problem we had is that it is an old house, probably over 100 years old, and it has a slate roof on it. The slate roof helped keep a lot of the heat and flame in there," Czerwinski said.
Firefighters had to knock the slate roof off in order to ventilate the building. The fire was snuffed out fairly quickly and firefighters were packing up to leave shortly before 2 p.m. Nobody was injured in the blaze.
The response consisted of three engines, a ladder truck, and Car-2.
The fire left the building uninhabitable for now and the damage was estimated at $10,000 to $20,000. Czerwinski said all of the occupants have somewhere else to go for the evening.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police are investigating another shooting.
Police say Friday morning officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation in the 300 block of Columbus Avenue. There they found an individual who suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The victim was transported to Berkshire Medical Center and the injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. Police say the victim was unable to provide any information about the suspect.
The incident is under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 413-448-9705. Information can also be provided anonymously via the Detective Bureau, the Drug Tips hotline at 413-448-9708, or by texting “PITTIP” plus your message to TIP411 (847411).
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A teenager is facing charges after driving in the wrong lane and causing a rollover accident on West Main Street on Wednesday afternoon.
The occupant of the other vehicle had to be extricated by firefighters and was taken to Berkshire Medical Center's North Adams campus with injuries.
The 17-year-old, whose name has not yet been released, was westbound just before 3 p.m. in a black Honda Civic near Brown Street when he swerved into the eastbound lane. He tried to pull back out, as seen by the tire tracks on the road, but collided with an eastbound Chevrolet Equinox with two occupants.
The Civic's front driver side fender is believed to have struck the back driver's side of the Equinox, ripping off the back tire. The Equinox hit the curb and flipped over, landing on its roof and facing the north side of Hill Side Cemetery. The Civic came to a stop in the westbound lane about 50 feet away.
Firefighters had to use extrication tools to remove the passenger side door to get to one of the occupants in the Equinox. Both the driver and passenger were taken to BMC North by Northern Berkshire Ambulance Service. The driver of the Civic declined transport but was taken to the satellite emergency facility by his father.
Cariddi Auto towed the Civic and Dean's Towing righted and removed the Equinox. The roadway was closed for about a half-hour and traffic was detoured over Brown Street and Roberts Drive.
Update Nov. 7, 2018: The woman struck by the train has been identified as Lindsay Bolte, 29, of North Adams. She incurred serious injuries, including to her leg, but is expected to recover. Two other women were on the trestle with her at the time but were escaped unharmed.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A woman was struck by a train while crossing the trestle near American Legion Drive early Tuesday evening.
According to police, she incurred life-threatening injuries and was taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. Her identity is not being released at this time.
The woman was in a group of three on the trestle as the train approached shortly before 6 p.m. The other two individuals were able to get off in time and were uninjured.
The train reportedly blew its whistle a number of times to alert the group. It reached the little tunnel before stopping. The tracks are owned by Pan Am Railways and freight trains run through the city usually twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening.
The trestle goes over the Hoosic River and connects the east bank, off American Legion Drive, to the west bank under the Hadley Overpass to Western Gateway Heritage State Park.
Police had blocked off the parking lot by Freight Yard Pub and Christopher Columbus Drive. Yellow tape cordoned off the area next to the tracks on the Heritage Park side. Railway personnel arrived on the scene around 7 p.m.
Further information was not immediately available and the incident is under investigation.
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