Pittsfield Car Crash Knocks Radio Stations Off Air

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Update: Police identify suspect in chase.
 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A police pursuit that ended in a crash reportedly cut power temporarily to four local radio stations on Monday and set the car on fire.
 
The suspect in the pursuit, Anthony Winters, 27, of Pittsfield, was charged with numerous motor vehicle offenses as well as assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (motor vehicle.)
 
Live 95.9-FM and 1420-AM went off the air around 9:30 a.m., according to their Facebook posts. 
 
"Due to an emergency and technical difficulties, we are currently off-air. Engineers are working as quickly as possible to get the station back up and running. Thank you for your patience," 95.9 posted.
 
According to police, an officer made a motor vehicle stop for civil traffic infractions in the area of West and Edwin Streets. The operator of the vehicle initially stopped but then fled the scene "making contact" with the officer in the process of fleeing. The pursuit traveled on West to Jason Street.
 
The suspect vehicle lost control in the 200 block, colliding with the utility pole. The crash broke the pole and resulted in the power outage and the motor vehicle catching fire. The suspect fled on foot and was apprehended a short time later in the vicinity of the crash. 
 
David Isby, with the stations' owner Townsquare Media, came by the accident, which he posted on Facebook. 
 
"High speed chase on Jason Street - driver snapped pole in half - then exited vehicle and ran," he posted, with pictures of the car catching on fire. "What's more 4 radio stations are off the air until power gets restored or the generator at studios (which kicked on) gets working properly!!"
 
The images show a dark colored, late model four-door car smashed front-end first into a guardrail — right below a deer crossing sign — and a pole and wires laying the road. First the car is smoking with driver's side door open and then fully ablaze. Firefighters reportedly had to wait until Eversource could cut power before attempting to douse the fire. 
 
Jason Street was closed for several hours while utility companies restored power and was reopened around 2:30 p.m. The officer was not injured and returned to work shortly after. Winters was treated for minor injuries at Berkshire Medical Center and then discharged.

Tags: police chase,   power outage,   

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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