Exhausted moose returned to the woods after roaming Westford streets

The Westford Fire Department responded to assist a moose in distress near St. Catherine of Alexandria Church on North Main Street on May 12.Westford Fire Department

Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our communities.

MOOSE ON THE LOOSE

At about 6:30 a.m. May 12, authorities started getting reports of a young female moose wandering around a residential area by River and Broadway streets in Westford. By noon, the moose found herself in traffic on North Main Street near St. Catherine of Alexandria Church, and she was “exhausted, stressed and overheated by her travels,” Westford Animal Control wrote on Facebook. “Unfortunately she had not been able to make her way to a forested area to find shade and water and instead tried and failed to jump a fence in the parking lot. Unsteady on her legs and disoriented, she gave in and bedded down, laying along the fence line on the asphalt in a small spot of shade.” Westford police and firefighters from the Forge Village fire station responded to help the moose, along with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Massachusetts Environmental Police. The moose was successfully sedated and cooled down, and was lifted onto a truck and taken away to an undisclosed location in the woods where she would be safe. “Westford Firefighters are committed to helping everyone in our community. Including our local wildlife,” the Westford Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “Once sedated, firefighters assisted with cooling the moose with water, and with loading her for transport to her new home. Good luck, Ms. Moose. Safe travels.”

This moose was seen taking a stroll around Westford on May 12.Westford Animal Control

A BUMPY TRAFFIC STOP

At approximately 1:05 a.m. April 29, an Arlington police officer heard a loud scraping noise and saw a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling westbound on Massachusetts Avenue with no tires on the front and rear wheels on the passenger side. According to the police report, the Jeep was “traveling on its rims” and leaving “chunks of rubber” behind it on the roadway. The officer pulled the Jeep over and spoke to the driver, a 55-year-old Worcester man, who said, “I believe there is something wrong with my car.” The officer asked him how long he had been traveling with his tires missing, he said he didn’t know. He was subsequently placed under arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol.

SUN BATHER CAUSES CONCERN

At 10:49 a.m. April 2, Cohasset police received a call requesting that a well-being check be conducted on a man who was seen lying on Black Rock Beach (a.k.a. Rocky Beach) by the intersection of Jerusalem Road and Forest Avenue. The caller told police that the man was laying behind a wall, and “may be sleeping” because he “has not moved.” The caller reported not feeling comfortable going outside to see if the man was breathing (or not). According to the log entry, the officer dispatched to the scene reported that the fellow on the beach was “just sunbathing,” and did not require any medical assistance.

IT WASN’T EVEN DUNKIN’

At 4:07 p.m. April 2, Milford police received a 911 call reporting that an orange sports car crashed into a hydrant while “doing doughnuts” in the parking lot at Red Heat Tavern on Route 109. Officers were dispatched to the scene, along with firefighters who checked to see if the hydrant had been damaged. A tow company and the water department also were notified. The driver of the 2006 Dodge Charger, a 19-year-old Northbridge resident, was summonsed on a charge of negligent operation of a motor vehicle and a marked lanes violation.