Crime & Safety
Rink Rescue, Rollover Wreck and a Hit and Run
With January wrapped up, we look back at the top police and fire headlines of the month.
It was a busy month for the Wilmington Police and Wilmington Fire Departments, with a wide variety of calls.
With January in the books, we take a look back at the top headlines from the last month in Wilmington.
PHOTOS: Crews Cleaning Up After I-93 Crash (Jan. 8)
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A mid-morning crash that injured a truck driver backed up traffic for miles on I-93 North.
According to reports, the vehicle was carrying trash and when it rolled over debris was spread across the roadway. Just one lane was open to traffic following the crash, which caused significant delays.
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Woman Allegedly Drove Drunk With Three Children in Car (Jan. 16)
What started off as a standard check on an erratic operator took what police called a concerning turn over the weekend when an officer discovered the driver of the vehicle was allegedly driving under the influence with three children in the car.
“I would say the overwhelming majority of OUIs that our officers come across are adults with no minors in the car,” said Desmond. “This was disturbing because it shows an issue of judgment. We don’t want any drivers to endanger the motoring public driving under the influence. To endanger younger people is a major concern.”
'Seconds Really Count' as Man Saved Inside Ristuccia (Jan. 17)
Terry Gardner was at Ristuccia Arena with a few of his friends to watch the Boston Bruins take the ice for practice. But he was hard at work before long.
Gardner was among the group of on and off duty emergency personnel who saved the life of a man who had a cardiac episode in the stands on a Thursday morning in January.
“The quicker you can do CPR the better. Seconds really count in that situation,” said Gardner. “Really, for the situation that he had, he had it in a pretty good place. They had the defibrillator on scene, which made a world of difference for him. If this happened at home, he may not have had such a good outcome.”
Cops Help Provide Smiles for Young Leukemia Patient (Jan. 21)
Wilmington Police officers made the day of a young Wilmington resident this month.
Three-year-old David Maselli, diagnosed with leukemia, visited the station and was all smiles as he and his family received $5,000 from Cops for Kids With Cancer.
Police Investigating Overnight Hit and Run on Pedestrian (Jan. 22)
Wilmington Police are seeking the public's help for any information involving an early morning hit and run on Ballardvale Street that left a man hospitalized.
According to Police Lt. Brian Pupa, a call came in just after 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 when passing truck drivers located an injured man on the side of the road.
Pupa said police believe a 28-year-old man may have run out of gas on I-93 and was walking towards the industrial area of town in an effort to find a gas station when he was struck by a passing vehicle.
Wilmington Woman's Car Explodes in Stoneham (Jan. 29)
According to WBZ-TV, a woman's shopping trip didn't end as planned on Sunday after her remote key triggered a massive explosion in Stoneham.
At about 3:45 p.m., Jackie Sugrue, who the Lowell Sun reported is a Wilmington resident, was walking to her car when she used her remote key to pop her trunk and unlock the doors. Sugrue told the news station that her car immediately exploded all over the parking lot.
No one was injured during the incident, which Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said was caused by a leak in a tank that was in the car.
New Wilmington Police Officers Sworn In (Jan. 31)
The Wilmington Police Department officially grew by five members on Wednesday.
Veteran officers, town officials and family members alike were in attendance as five new officers received their badges during the ceremony.
One by one, Kevin Cavanaugh, Daniel Furbush, Julio Quiles, Rafael Cruz and Michael Johnson said their oath along with Town Clerk Sharon George before they were pinned by family members.
“Hold that oath close,” said Police Chief Michael Begonis to his newest officers. “Be respectful, have that commitment and have that compassion. That’s we’re all about. And if you do that, we’ll drive forward for the next 30 or 40 years without a worry.”
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