WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A 34-year-old Williamstown woman has been charged in an apparent hit-and-run accident on Cold Spring Road on Oct. 1, police announced on Wednesday.
Shannon Dandurand will answer in Northern Berkshire District Court to charges of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, police said.
"We wish to thank the public once again for the help, as it was the sharing of the original post that led to Ms. Dandurand contacting us about the incident," according to the news release posted on Facebook Wednesday morning.
Wendy McCarthy, 51, of Cold Spring Road suffered serious, non-life threatening injuries to the right side of her body in the Saturday night incident, according to a police report shortly after the accident.
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — A single-family home was saved Tuesday night by a joint effort of the Clarksburg and North Adams fire departments.
The departments were able to quickly snuff out the structure fire at 72 Farview Heights Road, near the border between the two communities.
Clarksburg Fire Chief Carlyle "Chipper" Chesbro Jr. said the call initially went to North Adams, which was the first to respond to Tuesday night at 8.
"North Adams did a great job getting up here and knocking it down for us," Chesbro said. "Then we came in with our engine and tanker and assisted."
North Adams Fire Director Stephen Meranti said he was first on the scene and was quickly able to find the source of the fire in the garage.
"We had smoke coming out of the first-floor front door," he said. "We pulled in a hand line and attacked the fire in the basement while we had a second line on the first floor. At that point, Clarksburg arrived and they stretched a backup line."
Chesbro said Clarksburg came on the scene with a tanker because there was not an available hydrant.
Meranti said they were able to knock down the fire immediately before it caused serious damage.
"It was knocked down within minutes upon our arrival but the house was still full of smoke so you couldn't see your hand in front of your face," he said.
Chesbro said the family was out of the house when firefighters arrived and were able to provide information immediately.
Although there is no serious structural damage, he said the family was advised to stay somewhere else for the time being.
There was some concern about the family's pet cat that escaped the blaze but was nowhere to be seen, but North Adams firefighter Alan Richer was able to find it.
Chesbro said the cause of the fire is under investigation but it did not look suspicious.
Meranti said North Adams Ambulance and Police as well as Clarksburg Police responded.
"It was good team work by everybody, and everyone worked well together," Meranti said. "It is a good example of two departments working together."
Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Friday, September 30.
Aaron Tarjick, 40, of Windsor pleaded guilty to 25 counts of larceny over $250, 13 counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle in the nighttime, nine counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime, seven counts of unarmed burglary, three counts of larceny of a firearm, two counts of larceny under $250, and a single count of larceny of a motor vehicle.
The charges stem from a series of housebreaks in Berkshire County between October 22, 2010 and November 13, 2012.
He was ordered to serve 15 to 17 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction on the breaking and entering and burglary charges. He was given concurrent time on the firearm and larceny charges.
Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Tuesday, October 4.
Jay Strezynski, 26, of Lee pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to violate drug laws, to wit: distribution of marijuana.
He was ordered to serve six months at the Berkshire County House of Correction, suspended for one-year. Strezynski conspired with others to sell marijuana on January 25, 2016.
Kayla Malloy, 29, of North Adams had not guilty pleas entered on her behalf on single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to violate drug laws.
The charges were in connection with a motor vehicle stop in North Adams on June 27, 2016. She was released on $250 bail.
Ishmael Lytle, 27, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of assault and battery on a disabled person, and caretaker abuse on a disabled person.
He was released on personal recognizance. Lytle is accused of assaulting a student while he worked at Eagleton School on February 20, 2013.
Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Thursday, October 6.
Dante Spratling, 31, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute - his second offense - and possession of a Class C substance.
He was released on $500 cash bail. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at a Daniels Avenue apartment on August 9, 2016.
Robert Pearson graduated from McCann Technical School in 2015.
He is seen here with his mother in this image posted on a youcaring.com
page set up to help his family defray expenses.
CHESHIRE, Mass. — A Dalton teen was killed early Friday morning in a single-car accident on Fred Mason Road that injured four others.
Robert Pearson, 19, a passenger in the vehicle, was transported by ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, where he was pronounced deceased.
According to state police from the Cheshire Barracks, the crash occurred at about 12:52 a.m.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Timothy Cooper indicates that a 2009 Nissan Altima operated by a 19-year-old Adams man was traveling south on Fred Mason Road when, for reasons still under investigation, it veered off the west side of the road. The Altima, which had a total of five occupants, collided with trees and rolled over onto its roof.
Two other passengers, a 22-year-old North Adams man and a 30-year-old North Adams man, suffered serious injuries and were transported to Berkshire Medical Center. The operator and another passenger, a 19-year-old woman from North Adams, suffered minor injuries and were transported to BMC as well.
Fred Mason Road was closed for five hours because of the accident.
The crash remains under investigation by Troop B with assistance from the state police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section and Detective Unit for Berkshire County. Also aiding at the scene were Cheshire Police, the Cheshire Fire Department, and the Adams Ambulance, North Adams Ambulance, and County Ambulance companies.
Both lanes of Fred Mason Road were closed for five hours to accommodate the rescue response and crash investigation. No further information is being released at this time.
A youcaring.com page has been set up to help the family defray the impending expenses.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One many was taken to Berkshire Medical Center for burns following a structure fire on West Street Wednesday night.
Around 8:30 a passerby coming from Berkshire Community College noticed the flames and reported that there was somebody inside the house at the time. When firefighters arrived, they found a fully involved structure fire but, luckily, the man inside the building had already gotten out.
"When we got dispatched it was reported as a house fully involved with people inside, which gets your heat rate up right away because you feel like you are going to have to do a very difficult rescue. On arrival, it was relieving to find the only occupant already outside the house and he said nobody else was in the house. So now it is property we are worried about and not lives we have to save," Deputy Chief Andrew Stephenson said.
The man was reportedly the only person in the home at the time and was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be second-degree burns on his hands and first-degree burns on his feet.
"He actually denied any injuries but he had visible burns. Any burns on your hands or feet are considered serious burns," Stephenson said.
Neither the injured man nor Stephenson knows exactly how it started, but an investigation is ongoing to figure that out.
"The house structurally is completely sound. But it has very heavy smoke damage and fire damage throughout. The contents are fairly well destroyed on the first floor," Stephenson said.
He added, "there is a lot of heat damage on the inside. There is a lot of fire damage in the first room, inside the window from the porch. From there, there is a lot of heat damage going up the stairs and to adjoining rooms."
Firefighters had made fairly quick work in knocking down a lot of fire centered mostly on the porch and in the room just inside.
"When I arrived the fire was fully involved on the porch and I could tell the front room just inside from the porch was already on fire. It took us a minute to get a hose line out and the fire had already gotten into the house," Stephenson said.
"We knocked down the fire in probably about 15 to 20 minutes. It took about a half an hour to go in and control the fire completely."
Stephenson said overall combating the blaze went smooth and there was plenty of access to water. During the blaze, a portion of West Street was closed - from Churchill Street to the college. One lane was eventually reopened to allow those at the college to leave the area.
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