Police and Fire News

Harwich student hit by car; Dennis crash; Provincetown fire; Yarmouth crash; SSA office evacuated by gas odor

Student struck, seriously injured in Harwich
HARWICH - A Harwich High School senior was seriously injured after being struck by a car around 5:40 a.m. Friday morning in front of the school on Oak Street. The senior class was reportedly having a sleepover last night. The victim was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital. Harwich Police are investigating.

Car vs. rock in East Dennis
EAST DENNIS - Shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday a woman driving north on Route 134 swerved to the right just past Fairland Circle and hit a boulder marking the entry to a driveway. Her Saturn sedan spun sideways and hit more rocks on the other side of the driveway. The Dennis Fire Department responded to the scene and transported the woman - the only occupant of the car -- to Cape Cod Hospital with injuries that were not considered to be life threatening. Traffic on Route 134 was brought to a halt in both directions in order to allow the flatbed wrecker access to the vehicle. The Dennis Police Department is investigating. Story and photos by Kevin Morley

Propane tank fire in Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN - Anxious moments in Provincetown after a propane tank fire was reported.

Crews rushed to 24 Ships Way Road around 4 p.m. and quickly knocked down the fire.

Investigators are trying to determine if leaking gas was ignited by an adjacent hot water heater.

No one was injured.

Photo by Tim Caldwell.

CWN Followup: Man given probation for fatal crash

WELLFLEET - A man will serve 2 years of probation and 100 hours of community service in connection with a fatal crash last summer. 49-year-old Carlos Vicente was found guilty of motor vehicle homicide by negligence after crossing over into the path of 43-year-old Mims Sparks on Route 6 in Wellfleet, killing Sparks. Vicente will also have to complete the Brains at Risk Program developed by the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts which highlights the consequences of irresponsible driving. Vicente was also convicted of marked lanes violation and not wearing a seatbelt.  CWN file photo by BWS.

Crash leads to vehicle being impounded

     ^{Police questioned a driver after a crash in Hyannis.}
HYANNIS - At 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Hyannis Fire and Barnstable Police responded to a crash in front of 166 Stevens Street between Bassett Lane and North Street.  The driver of a gray Nissan Altima had crashed into a small black Honda.  A passenger in the Honda was taken to Cape Cod Hospital with a possible broken leg.  Police temporarily handcuffed the driver of the Altima and impounded his vehicle. Traffic was tied up for an hour while the scene was cleared. Further details were not immediately available. Story and photos by Frank Paparo.

Driver seriously injured in Yarmouth crash
YARMOUTH - The driver of this Toyota (right) going north on Forest Road in South Yarmouth, crossed the road into the woods and struck a tree.

After being extricated from the vehicle and stabilized, the driver was transported to Cape Cod Hospital with serious injuries.

Yarmouth Police are investigating the cause of the crash.

Story and photo by Richard Copley.

Gas odor prompts evacuation of Social Security Office
HYANNIS - At 11 a.m. Thursday Hyannis Fire and Barnstable Police responded to a call for an odor of natural gas in the Social Security Office in the plaza at 259 North Street. Upon arrival firefighters evacuated the building while police blocked off the entrance. National Grid was called to the scene to investigate. A work crew was digging across the street but it was not clear if they had caused the problem. It took nearly two hours to clear the scene.   Story by Frank Paparo.

Sexual assault suspect located at Connecticut casino
BOURNE - Bourne Police responding to a call in North Sagamore Wednesday discovered a person bound with duct tape who had reportedly been sexually assaulted. Police learned that 56-year-old Stephen Clifford of Plymouth was a suspect and may be headed for the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Massachusetts State Police alerted Connecticut State Police who spotted Clifford's car in a parking garage at the casino with a .357 Magnum handgun visible. Police found Clifford a while later in the casino. He was arraigned on fugitive from justice charges and turned over to Massachusetts authorities.