ATTLEBORO CITYWIDE NEWS

Serious Rollover Accident in Attleboro

ATTLEBORO- At 1:03am this morning Attleboro Fire and Police responded to the area of 496 Oak Hill Avenue for a report of a rollover accident with a person trapped in the vehicle. Upon arrival Engine 5 and Rescue 1 encountered a Pontiac Grand Am coupe that had rolled over on its drivers side up against a tree with 1 victim heavily entrapped and requiring an extended extrication. Engine 5 Capt Joe Horton immediately called for and extra engine and ladder truck, bringing Engine 4 and Ladder 1 to the scene along with Car 2, Deputy Chief Ed Greve. An additional engine was requested with a third set of "Jaws" and Engine 1, from headquarters station, responded to the scene.

With all 3 extrication tools working it took firefighters 60 minutes to remove the victim from the vehicle. The driver was trapped within the vehicle's drivers compartment and against the tree and eventually required the vehicle to be pulled away from the tree and rolled back on its wheels to free the driver. Veteran firefighters on scene remarked that this was one of the worst and most complicated extrications from a vehicle that they had dealt with in some time. In all, 3 engine companies, a ladder, rescue and deputy chief responded totaling 11 firefighters.

The victim was transported to Rhode Island Hospital Trauma Center in Providence with very serious and possibly life threatening injuries. Click on photos below to enlarge. (Photos by Gil Bechtel/Greg Jolly. Video courtesy of Phil Sullivan of wellinvolved.com).

Quick Knockdown on Dumpster Fire

ATTLEBORO- Shortly ater noontime today Attleboro firefighters were dispatched to 25 Carpenter Street for a  large dumpster on fire between 2 apartment houses. Upon arrival Engine 1 crew stretched a attack line and quickly knocked down the dumpster fire. Crews stayed on scene for 15 minutes overhauling the dumpster and wetting down the debris. There was no damage to either apartment building and the cause was accidental.  (Photos by Marty Pyne)

   

Crush Injury at Local Factory

ATTLEBORO- Firefighters responded to Engineered Material Solutions At 34 Forest Street just before noon today for a man with a crush injury to his hand. Rescue 1 transported the subject to Sturdy Hospital after he sustained a crush injury to the tip of his ring finger by a piece of metal round stock. The patient was concious and alert, and his injury was non life threatening.

Man Rescued From Ladder

ATTLEBORO-  Firefighters from the South End station responded to Missy Lane this morning for a report of a man stuck on a ladder. When the crews from Ladder 2 and Rescue 2 arrived they encountered a male subject about 40 feet off the ground experiencing back spasms and unable to move. Ladder 2 raised its aerial ladder to the subject and firefighter Dave Ventura, using all his experience, skillfully assisted the subject onto the ladder and guided him down to the waiting Rescue. The man was transported to Sturdy Hospital to be treated for his back injury.

Attleboro Police Conduct Early Morning Drug Raids

ATTLEBORO- Attleboro Police arrested 3 individuals and seized a pound of marijuana in an early morning drug raid held at apartments within the City's East Side neighborhood. Police also confiscated a sawed off shotgun during the raids conducted on 25 East Street and 166 Pine Street around 6:00am.

The apartment building at 166 Pine Street was the scene of a fatal stabbing late in the summer of 2007. The subject in the stabbing is awiting trial. The raids were conducted jointly between Attleboro Police and State Troopers assigned to Bristol County D.A. Sam Sutter's Office.

House Fire in Seekonk

SEEKONK-  Just before 7:00pm this evening Seekonk firefighters were dispatched to 405 Warren Avenue on the Swansea town line for a structure fire. Swansea Fire had initially received the call and alerted Seekonk Fire that the house was in their town. Upon arrival both departments reported heavy fire venting form the first and second floors of the 2 1/2 story residential dwelling. All occupants were reported out of the building and firefighters then went about the job of attacking the fire. Firefighters had the fire knocked down within 20 minutes but remained on the scene until after 9:00pm. East Providence responded mutual aid and covered Seekonk Headquarters station.There wer no reported injuries and Seekonk Fire Chief Alan Jack was on scene. He is conducting an investigation into the fire, although initial signs are that it was accidental most likely due to a unattended candle

Click Here to View Dave Welch's Video from the Scene

Heavy Snow Expected this Afternoon

After a fairly quiet morning, with just under 1 inch of snow reported, heavy snowfall is expected to overtake the region for a period of several hours this afternoon. Driving will be hazardous and motorist are urged to use caution. Snowfall is expected at 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Storm Begins with Accidents

ATTLEBORO AREA- In what has become a normal occurrence during the winter, a rash of accidents took place this morning as the approaching winter storm started to make its presence felt.

In North Attleboro a rollover accident was reported just before 7:30am in the area of exit 5 on Route 95 North. The driver freed himself from the upside down vehicle in the median strip before firefighters arrived and was transported to Sturdy Hospital with minor injuries.

Meanwhile, Attleboro Fire crews were receiving calls during the same time period for their stretch of Route 95 and responded to 3 separate accidents on 95 North in the span of 90 minutes. All 3 accidents were minor with transport to Sturdy Hospital from each scene. Fire crews also responded to Oakdale Ave for a car into a tree and that subject was taken to Sturdy Hospital.

Log on to ACN for further updates.

Winter Storm Heads This Way

TAUNTON- The National Weather Service has issued the following Winter Storm Watch for tommorrow thru Saturday and covering the Attleboro area. The Watch is expected to be upgraded to a Warning as further time passes.

4:09pm: The NWS has now issued a Winter Storm Warning, below.

409 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 7 AM EST
SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 7 AM EST
SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

THIS WARNING INCLUDES NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...NORTHERN RHODE
ISLAND...AS WELL AS SOUTHERN MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT FOR THE SOUTH COAST.

SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD SOUTHWEST MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT
BETWEEN 5 AM AND 7 AM FRIDAY.  THE SNOW SHOULD OVERSPREAD CENTRAL
MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND BETWEEN 6 AM AND 8
AM...REACHING SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS BETWEEN 8 AND 10 AM.

ONCE THE SNOW OVERSPREADS THE REGION...IT SHOULD QUICKLY BECOME
MODERATE TO HEAVY REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS AT
TIMES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SURFACE TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING
SHOULD ALLOW FOR THE SNOW TO QUICKLY ACCUMULATE ON UNTREATED
ROADWAYS...MAKING FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVEL.

WARMER AIR WILL MOVE IN ALOFT FROM THE SOUTH DURING THE LATE
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. THEREFORE...TO THE SOUTH OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE WE EXPECT THE SNOW TO CHANGE TO SLEET AND
FREEZING RAIN. THIS LOOKS TO OCCUR BETWEEN 5 PM AND 8 PM ON
FRIDAY FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. SOME ICE ACCRETION IS
POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY IN THE CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY.  THE
PRECIPITATION MAY EVEN CHANGE TO A PERIOD OF PLAIN RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT
IN THE TAUNTON TO PLYMOUTH CORRIDOR...WITH TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO
FREEZING BUT THAT WILL BE A CLOSE CALL.

THE EVENING RUSH HOUR IS EXPECTED TO BE QUITE MESSY ACROSS THE
REGION AND UNTREATED ROADWAYS WILL LIKELY BE VERY SLIPPERY.

THE PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF IN INTENSITY BY LATE
FRIDAY EVENING...BUT CHANGE BACK TO LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE ENTIRE
REGION BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY.

TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE 6 TO 10 INCH RANGE ARE EXPECTED NEAR
THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
SOUTH OF THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE...WHERE THERE WILL BE A CHANGE OVER TO
SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN FOR A TIME.

Basement Fire in Attleboro

ATTLEBORO- South End fire crews were greeted with heavy smoke and heat conditions on arrival at 23 Deerfield Road this morning just after 2:30am. Engine 2, led by Capt. John Guenette, stretched an attack line to the finished basement level of the 1 story ranch and attacked the fire. A second backup line was stretched and protected the first floor. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in 30 minutes and kept the fire confined to the basement level. The cause of the fire was accidental, according to Deputy Fire Chief J.S. Jacques. (Photos by Gil Bechtel/Video courtesy of Phil Sullivan of wellinvolved.com)