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 blotters in our communities.
SUBURBAN STORROWING
It’s almost that time of year again — Storrowing Season — when students move into Boston and Cambridge for school and inevitably, a moving truck hits a low overpass on Storrow Drive. But this doesn’t just happen on Storrow; it can happen in the suburbs, too. That’s why, when a box truck met a similar fate and got stuck underneath a railroad bridge on Grove Street in Framingham last month, local police tried to use it as a teaching moment. “While the bridge seems to have an undefeated record, this crash was entirely preventable,” police wrote on social media on July 3. “Multiple roadside warning signs clearly alert drivers to the low clearance well before reaching the trestle. This is also a good reminder that all regulatory and advisory road signs are there for a reason. Whether it’s a height restriction, speed limit, curve warning, or stop sign, paying attention to roadway signage helps keep you — and everyone around you, including other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users — safe. A few extra seconds of attention can prevent a crash that lasts much longer.”
TRAIL OF WATER LEADS TO LOST CHILD
At 11:57 a.m. on July 27, Randolph police were notified that a 6-year-old boy had gone missing and was last seen on Bittersweet Lane. A search was launched, and several public safety agencies responded to help. While they were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the child, Randolph Detective Trevor Clark noticed some water running down a driveway on Bittersweet Lane. He followed the trail of water and found it led to a vacant home, where he discovered the boy safe inside. The boy had apparently turned on a sink that overflowed. Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag commended the eagle-eyed detective for having “keen observation skills” that “helped locate this child safely and quickly.” Marag also thanked the department’s mutual aid partners — which included drones, K-9 officers, and a bike unit from the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council; State Police, the Randolph Fire Department, and the Braintree Police Department’s drone unit — which responded to assist with the search. “We’re all very relieved this story had a very happy ending,” said Marag.
LATE NIGHT INTERVENTION
On June 25, a Massachusetts State Police trooper who works out of the the Shelburne Falls barracks was commuting to her overnight shift when she heard a radio broadcast stating that there was a distraught male on the Gill-Montague Bridge who needed help. The trooper was the first to arrive at the scene and when she did, she saw the individual was already partially over the bridge railing. The trooper approached and managed to talk him into returning to the other side of the railing, where he would be safe and not at risk of falling off the bridge. She continued speaking with him and providing support until Montague police arrived to take over.
GAS PUMP FILL AND DASH
At 4:52 p.m. July 20, Wilmington police received a report that a customer driving a 2017 Chevy Malibu fueled up at a gas station and then drove off with the “gas pump and hose attached to vehicle.” According to the log entry, police were able to contact the registered owner, a woman from Tewksbury who said it was her son driving the vehicle, and “he had pulled over into parking lot and was not sure what to do” at first, but he was now heading back to the gas station. Once he returned, police said a gas station employee was able to reattach the pump and get it working again.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.