During the week ending Monday, Feb. 10, there were three motor vehicle accidents; for once, none involved collisions with deer. Police stopped 20 cars for assorted violations, ticketing five, arresting the driver of one, and issuing verbal warnings to the rest. The ambulance responded to one 911 medical emergency. Officers made one arrest for domestic assault and battery.
In other news, police released more details this week on the single-car accident that occurred at the intersection of Mill and Ayer roads the night of Friday, Jan. 31. A car headed towards Ayer and operated by an out-of-town driver crossed the road, struck a guardrail, and flipped over, landing in a ditch on the north side of Mill Road. The driver was ejected through a passenger-side window and sustained life-threatening injuries. He was transported first to Nashoba Valley Medical Center and later airlifted to UMass Worcester, as reported in last week’s paper. The driver has since been released and is recovering at home. The accident remains under investigation. No charges have been issued.
Tuesday, Feb. 4
A Still River resident called police at 8:29 a.m. to report seeing a suspicious-looking truck in a neighbor’s driveway. The vehicle belonged to MassSave and had permission to be on the property. At 12:47 p.m. an officer stopped a vehicle traveling at 52 mph in a 30 mph zone on Bolton Road and cited its out-of-town male driver for speeding. Police ticketed an out-of-town female driver at 1:13 p.m. for speeding on Old Shirley Road. At 1:43 p.m. police stopped and issued a written warning to a Harvard driver for speeding near the intersection of Slough Road and Mass. Ave. A resident of Mettacomett Path complained to police that construction trucks were flying up and down the street. Responding to the 2:41 p.m. call, an officer asked the crews to slow down. At 4:46 p.m. police stopped and arrested a Lowell driver for speeding and operating a vehicle without a license. The car was towed. Someone passed the word to dispatch at 5:19 p.m. that a large tree had fallen across Ann Lees Road. DPW was notified and the tree was removed.
Wednesday, Feb. 5
Police investigated a two-car accident at the intersection of Stow and Westcott roads that had occurred about 4:57 p.m. A car merging onto Stow Road slid and struck a second car, causing minor damage to both vehicles. The roadway at the time was covered in fresh snow. The driver of the first car was cited for failure to yield to on-coming traffic. Both drivers were from Harvard. There were no injuries. Neither car was towed. Police and fire units responded to a 911 call from a Littleton Road resident about 7:34 p.m. The caller reported that there was smoke in the house. The occupants were advised to evacuate their home, but the source of the smoke later proved to be their malfunctioning furnace.
Thursday, Feb. 6
Responding to a 1 a.m. 911 call, police arrested an elderly Bowers Brook man for domestic assault and battery following a dispute with his wife. About 7:17 a.m. a woman reported seeing a dog lying on the grounds of the Healing Garden on Bolton Road. The animal control officer was notified.
Friday, Feb. 7
The ambulance answered a 911 call at 3:42 p.m. A resident of Deerfoot Trail had fallen from his bed. EMTs provided an assist, but the patient refused further treatment. Someone called 911 at 4:58 p.m. to report that a car was stopped on the westbound off-ramp of Route 2. When an officer investigated, he found the driver asleep at the wheel, who then reported that the car had died as he was exiting. The car was towed. At 8:43 p.m. police stopped and ticketed a Harvard man who had been traveling 40 mph in a 20 mph speed zone near Pond Road and Warren Avenue. Fifteen minutes later, police ticketed an out-of-town man for driving 50 mph in a 35 mph speed zone on Ayer Road. At 9:28 p.m. police investigated a suspicious-looking vehicle parked outside Sorrentos on Ayer Road. Its two occupants were found to be in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. The drug was confiscated and destroyed. There were no charges made.
Saturday, Feb. 8
At 11:39 a.m. police and fire responded to a 911 call from a Mettacomett Path resident who reported smoke inside the house. The source was a wood-burning stove. Firefighters reportedly extinguished the fire and checked the chimney and roof to ensure there was no lingering danger. The animal control officer was called at 3:23 p.m. to deal with a rabid raccoon being held in a basement by a South Shaker Road resident. The animal had to be put down (see “If an animal looks suspicious, call animal control” in this week’s Letters section of the paper). A Lovers Lane resident notified the police at 7:21 p.m. that there were two unfamiliar vehicles parked on the street. An officer investigated, but there was no one in the area and no sign of suspicious activity. Police stopped a vehicle on Ayer Road for failure to stay within marked lanes. The car was found to contain multiple bags of marijuana. The occupants were minors. The driver was tested and is suspected of operating under the influence of drugs, but the incident remains under investigation.
Sunday, Feb. 9
Police and ambulance were dispatched to an accident on Route 2 at 12:25 a.m. No details beyond the log entry are available. At 4:05 p.m. police were asked to be on the lookout for a silver-white station wagon driven by a male in his late 30s with a beard and brown glasses. He had been seen behaving suspiciously towards a 10-year- old Lunenburg girl playing outside her house, pausing to wave at her and then driving on. The vehicle has not been spotted in Harvard.
Monday, Feb. 10
At 4:33 p.m. a neighbor reported hearing a house alarm at a residence near the intersection of West Bare Hill and Still River roads. Police investigated, but found nothing. Police stopped a vehicle on Ayer Road at 4:59 p.m. for failure to stop for a stop sign. The vehicle was unregistered and was towed.
