Update 3 p.m.: Darrel A. Galorenzo has been charged with manslaughter; reckless endangerment; negligent operating of a motor vehicle, operating to endanger; and operating under the influence. He is being held on $100,000 bail.
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — State Police say Saturday morning's motor vehicle accident on Middle Road resulted in the death of a toddler.
Authorities say the preliminary investigation suggests the 2-year-old boy died after his father, while fleeing the scene of a motor vehicle crash on foot, lost the child in Hudson Brook.
A trooper from the Cheshire barracks and Clarksburg firefighters who responded to the crash located and pulled the child from the brook. The child was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
According to scanner reports, the rollover occurred shortly before 2 a.m. just south of the Middle Road bridge and that a child had been found in Hudson Brook.
Police say the child's father, Darrel A. Galorenzo, 35, of Readsboro, Vt., was determined to have been operating under the influence and was taken into custody by State Police. Further charges related to the death of the child are expected and will be determined upon completion of the ongoing investigation.
Galorenzo was apparently southbound in a 2015 Subaru Crosstrek when the vehicle crashed into a mailbox and then into a utility pole at about 1:58 a.m. Middle Road was closed or partially closed for hours and the scene wasn't cleared until after 10 a.m.
Within minutes, a trooper and Northern Berkshire EMS were on scene and immediately learned that a young child who had been in the vehicle was unaccounted for, according to a press release by the State Police.
Galorenzo was reportedly present in the area of the brook as well.
Troopers and firefighters immediately began searching Hudson Brook for the child, and located him in the water shortly before 2:20 a.m. close to 150 Middle Road. Emergency medical technicians began first-aid on scene for drowning injuries and the child was taken Berkshire Medical Center's satellite emergency facility in North Adams, where he was pronounced dead.
Troopers at the scene say Galorenzo's actions were consistent with his being intoxicated and he was taken to BMC North for evaluation under police guard. After he was examined and discharged, a trooper transported him to the barracks, where he remains in custody.
In addition to the OUI and negligent operation of a motor vehicle charges, additional charges related to the toddler's death are anticipated.
The facts and circumstances of the incident remain under investigation by Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and State Police, including the county Detective Unit, the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and the Crime Scene Services Section.
The District Attorney's Office will issue an updated release upon completion of the investigation.
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NBSU Committee Open to Discussing Apportionment Changes
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Clarksburg's partners in the North Berkshire School Union agreed to take a look at the assessment structure for the union's administration and the union agreement.
Town and school officials have questioned Clarksburg's share of administration costs, which is now more than 50 percent.
Select Board Chair Daniel Haskins presented the "super" NBSU School Committee last week with a proposal of a base contribution of 10 percent for each district except for Monroe, which would be 5 percent, and then a ratio based on enrollment.
"Over my four years on the Select Board, I've observed a steady increase in presented percentage that Clarksburg contributes to the North Berkshire School Union as our student enrollment has grown," he said. "The reason behind this proposed adjustment is straightforward: The North Berkshire School Union provides services for all member towns. These include oversight of the principals, management of school facilities, food services and special education programs."
He also pointed to the state reporting and reviews, preparation of school budgets, and meeting attendance.
"For example, the union is not attending five times as many school committee meetings for Clarksburg as it is for Savoy, nor is it overseeing three additional principals for Florida," he said. "While I fully acknowledge that the NBSU staff does spend more time on Clarksburg-related matters than those of the smaller towns, it is worth asking whether the current ratios accurately reflect the difference."
The five towns of Clarksburg, Florida, Monroe, Rowe and Savoy share the services of central office that includes the superintendent, assistant/special education director, information technology director, business administrator, support staff, supplies and rent and utilities for the space in North Adams.
Clarksburg's partners in the North Berkshire School Union agreed to take a look at the assessment structure for the union's administration and the union agreement. click for more
Fire Chief Brent Lefebvre, in his slide presentation to the council, stated that purchasing this truck will save the city between $500,000 and $600,000 compared to ordering one now.
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A joint convention of the School Committee and City Council on Tuesday unanimously elected Alexandra DiAddezio to fill the vacant seat on the committee. click for more
The former mayor was presented with a clock in 2017 upon the completion of his fourth term as chair of the committee; on Tuesday, he received another clock marking his four years as a member of the committee.
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