Person shot in Roxbury

Around 1 AM this morning Boston police & EMS officials headed to Ellis and Thornton Streets for a reported shooting. Upon arrival they located a male victim in the middle of the street suffering with a gun shot wound to the back. Boston EMS packaged the victim for transport to the Boston Medical Center with what is said to be non-life threatening injuries. No suspect has been taken into custody at this time. More information will be posted as it becomes available. 

The officer pictured is the K9 handler/ partner is by his side

Boston stabbing

Around 10 PM last night Boston Police and EMS responded to a report of a person stabbed near 105 Bowdoin Ave. Officers located the victim on the side walk at the corner of Washington St & Bowdoin Ave suffering from multiple stab wounds laid out on the sidewalk. Due to severity of the injuries the officer in charge at the scene requested "full notifications" bringing homicide detectives and the crime scene unit to the scene. The identity of the victim has not been released. As for the suspect; he was transported to the BMC with self inflicted wounds & placed into custody of the Boston police. More information will be posted as it becomes available. 

Taxi driver stabbed

During the early morning hours of March 20th, around 2 AM the Boston police responded to East Lenox St at Washington St for a reported stabbing. Upon arrival they requested for EMS to step it up, they had a cab driver suffering from multiple wounds. The victim was transported to the Boston Medical Center where his injuries were said to be serious but non life threatening.

Occupy Boston springs to life

On the night of Saturday March 18th; I got tipped off that the Occupy movement was set to stage a march around 6 PM at the Boston Common. I headed for the area with several other photographers & awaited the party. Around 7 PM it sprang to life. The crowd was about 15 protesters at first and gradually grew as they worked their way up Beacon Hill towards the State House. They ended up stopping at Park & Tremont Streets where the crowd grew to about 30 & took the march towards Fanueil Hall & the Quincy Market area where it eventually fizzled away.  

Malden house fire

Just before midnight on March 19th -The Malden fire department responded to reports of a house fire at 15 Cottage Place. Upon arrival of the the first due engine company they had reported smoke showing from a 2.5 story dwelling and reported fire in the basement. 2 lines were quickly put into operation and the fire was knocked down. There was minor extension to floor 1 however there was significant smoke & water damage throughout. The red cross responded to assist the displaced residents. No injuries were reported

Overnight crash kills one in Littleton

Around 3:30 this morning the State Police & Littleton fire department responded to Interstate 495 north just before the route 2 interchange for reports of an accident. Upon arrival the responding troopers requested EMS forthwith for multiple injuries. 1 person was killed during the crash. A second victim was also transported to the Emerson Hospital in Concord for treatment. The victims identity has not been released. More information will be posted as it becomes available

Stoughton house fire

Stoughton firefighters are currently battling a house fire on Winfisky Drive. The  second alarm has been ordered and mutual aid is responding to the scene & into the town for coverage. No injuries have been reported at this time. Updates posted as they become available.

Update: 2:55 PM-Heavy fire has been reported in the basement of the home with dark smoke issuing from the building. The fire is doubtful will hold at this time. Canton engine 6 and an Avon engine is at the scene assisting with manpower.

Update: 3:15 PM-The fire has been reported knocked down. No injuries to civilians or firefighters have been reported

Chelmsford accident seriously injures 1

Around 2:30 this morning the State Police & the Chelmsford fire department responded to reports of a car that plowed into the back of a tractor trailer on Interstate 495 South after Route 3. Upon arrival they found a vehicle with extensive damage & the occupant of the vehicle suffering from serious injuries. A call was made for medflight then it was cancelled due to an extended response time. The decision was made to transport the victim by ground to the Lahey Clinic in Burlington for treatment. The roadway was closed between Route 3 & Route 110 for approximately 4-4.5 hours so the state police could conduct reconstruction. The identity of the victims has not been released pending proper family notification. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

A little more on the incident can be found here: Chelmsford wreck injures Central mass man

MSP Sobriety checkpoint. A neat event

I got word to a sobriety checkpoint in Lowell on Saturday night into Sunday morning. I made my way to the area around 10 PM and spotted lots of police all over the roads- both local and state police units. They call this the saturation patrol. A few arrests and some citations were issued during this. The real fun begun around 11:45 when the trap was set up. That's right. they pretend like they are setting up a construction work zone but when in fact they aren't. They narrowed down each side of the road way to 1 lane & people had no way out once they were in it. There were multiple "chase cars" staged nearby in the form of marked/semi marked & unmarked units at the ready. Anyone who tries anything stupid is just plain simply dumb because the checkpoint is manned by as many as 20+ troopers and a handful of local cops. The store opened at midnight and right off the bat 2 customers were already told to enter the "pit". Once inside, troopers converged on the vehicles & ordered the drivers to exit the vehicles- they complied & field sobriety was conducted. Both were immediately placed into custody & transported for booking on at least the charge of OUI. A few minutes went by & 2 more were asked to enter. Well lets say this is were it got great...A passenger in one of those cars thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if he were to perhaps bailout... well lets say he didn't get very far. He quickly had 15 troopers & several Lowell PD officers around him and he was taken into custody, The best part is where I was sitting; was in a parking lot directly across from the checkpoint at a school-there was also a Lowell PD unit there filling out a report and I was chatting with him as the subject ran towards us. I backed up a few feet to give him some running room and he immediately exited his cruiser and took the subject into custody. My guess would be he had maybe a warrant or 2 or had some illegal contraband on him. Whats great about these checkpoints is that even if the operator isn't drunk the chances are there is something else the troops will discover. I'm not sure on what the total results were but I will find out and post when they are available. Great work by all. I cant wait for the next one.

Car slams into a tree in Lynn

Around 4 AM this morning Lynn police & engine 3 were dispatched to the area of 136 Walnut Street for reports of a vehicle into a tree. 2 occupants were removed from the vehicle without the use of extrication tools, boarded and transported to area hospitals by EMS with non life threatening injuries.

Fire ravages single family home in Tewksbury

Around 1:40 this morning Tewksbury fire department officials responded to reports of a house fire at 7 Sullivan Parkway. Police units were quickly on the scene reporting the house was well involved as well as 2 vehicles. 1st due engine company reported they had heavy fire showing from the 2.5 story house and ordered the working fire and started stretching lines Shortly thereafter the deputy ordered the second alarm bringing Wilmington engine 2 to the scene for manpower. The blaze was brought under control around 3 AM & apparatus were placed in service after making up. No injuries were reported. 

Arlington hazmat incident

Around 11 AM this morning a dog owner who was out for a walk along a trail near Boulevard Road and Lafayette Street and discovered a white powder type substance for roughly 1/4 mile length. The spots were marked off with traffic cones and the Chief of the department ordered the Tier 1 response bringing the DFS hazardous materials response truck to the scene. After taking samples a test was conducted and it was determined the item in question was indeed a bleached flour left by a running club at some point during the night. No injuries were reported and evacuations of the residential neighborhood were not ordered as there was no credible threat made.

DFS members awaiting test results with police officer standing by

Engine 1 staged nearby

DFS member taking readings & collecting sample

Electrical fire wreaks havoc in Boston

Around 6 PM this evening Boston fire was called to the area of 40 Dalton St the Back Bay Hilton Hotel for a reported transformer explosion. Before companies arrived the 2nd alarm was transmitted. Shortly thereafter the 3rd & 4th alarms were sounded. The fire was in a concrete building owned by Nstar and housed 2 transformers at an estimated 115,000 volts combined. Nstar was immediately requested to the scene to de-energize the units as the fire was quickly gaining strength. The key here is that no water was able to be used as the electrical vault was "water reactive". As a result there was a large scale power outage that affected the South End, Back Bay, Kenmore Square, Chinatown & the theatre district. Nstar says there is no estimate at this time as to when the power will be restored. It has been reported that the fire has been knocked down & investigators are going into the vault to look at the damage and determine the best way to start restoring power. In any event; this will be a long duration one due to the fact that trailers need to be brought in with generators to power the sub station so Nstar workers can systematically begin to restore the power back to the affected areas. My guess would be upwards to about 250+ thousand people were affected by this. It was also being reported via twitter that some cell phone carriers were experiencing issues as a result of the "Boston black out". The traffic in the area is complete total gridlock. Smoke could be seen for miles. Foam was also used at the scene with the assistance of the Massport fire department

Based on scanner reports there was 1 person transported to a Boston area hospital with respiratory issues due to the smoke inhalation. The Back Bay Hilton and the Sheraton were both evacuated for safety precautions. The Boston Medical Center was also reporting to have several people walk in with smoke related injuries due to the fire. No serious injuries were reported from officials at the scene. A media staging area has been set up on Dalton Street near the scene and multiple media outlets are doing live reports as well.

As for the MBTA goes the Orange & Green lines have been hardest hit. The following stations have been shut down as a result: Hynes, Symphony, Mass Ave, Copley, Arlington and the Prudential.

Traffic wise: Storrow Drive westbound (leaving town) jammed solid from Leverett Circle to the Eliot Bridge, Eastbound is wide open except the Copley ramp inside the Storrow tunnel is CLOSED. The Masspike Eastbound has been closed at the Allston/Brighton tolls and all traffic is being detoured into Brighton via Cambridge St. (Do keep in mind that power is out in that area and it is also gridlocked). The Prudential tunnel has been closed both ways (hence why Storrow west is jacked up). The MassPike East itself is at a standstill back to the Weston tolls trying to get to BostonThere are also a number of area roadways around the scene that are blocked off as well; Mass Ave/Boylston St etc. The ramp to the Mass Ave connector off the Southeast expressway is open for those needing to access a hospital. The Mass Ave bridge inbound from Cambridge to Boston . Again for the latest on traffic updates follow my twitter feed (@nefirebuff) or tune your radio to WBZ 1030AM for the latest every 15 minutes.

Boston police and fire department officials are currently responding to multiple alarms and stuck elevator calls throughout the city with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police. As far as those calls go so far no injuries have been reported.

This will be continuously updated throughout the night-feel free to leave comments or drop an email to me with any updates and I'll do what I can to post them.

Double rollover closes Rt 24 in Raynham early this morning

Around 1 AM this morning State Police along with Raynham fire & EMS personnel responded to reports of an accident involving 2 vehicles both of which had rolled over onto their roofs on Route 24 South just before Route 44 -Exit 13. The highway was temporarily shut down and all traffic was diverted onto Route 44 westbound as crews responded to clear the scene. Injuries were said to be non-life threatening. The roadway was reopened after approximately 45 minutes. The incident remains under investigation by the state police.

Multi car wreck sends several to hospital

Around 8:30 last night, State police in conjunction with the Stoneham & Woburn fire departments responded to reports of a multi vehicle collision on Interstate 93 north by the Montvale Ave exit. Preliminary investigation by troopers on the scene indicated that it may have been the result of a wrong way driver. The highway was shutdown so first responders could access the scene from the wrong direction. Access to 93 North was also restricted from the Montvale Ave on ramp. Quick work was made of the incident and the roadway was reopened around 9PM. 4 patients were transported to the Winchester Hospital with what was said to be non life threatening injuries while 1 person was detained on the scene for suspicion of drunk driving. The incident remains under investigation by the state police

Got milk? Boxborough truck crash

Around 5 PM this afternoon the state police as well as Littleton & Boxborough fire departments responded to reports of a collision between a tanker truck and an 18 wheeler before Route 111 on Interstate 495 South. Upon arrival, troopers found the TT unit over the guard rail & into the woods. The tanker was carrying milk. A hazmat team has been called to deal with a fuel spill. The right lane is currently being blocked as crews work the scene and the truck team conducts an investigation. The injuries do not appear to be serious, however the clean up is expected to take some time. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Update: The tanker truck in the incident only had a ruptured saddle tank from when the cab went thru the guardrail. The contents of the trailer were not affected. The driver was transported to an area hospital with non life threatening injuries. Coadys towing out of Lawrence was at the scene and handled the truck removal. The right lane remained closed for approximately 2.5 hours as crews removed the truck & tended to the fuel spill. By 8 PM all lanes were open and just the breakdown lane remained closed so the guardrail could be replaced.
The exact cause of the crash remains undetermined and is still under investigation by the state police.

Boston firefighters battling brush fire along the Fenway

Around 3 PM this afternoon the Boston fire department went to reports of a brush fire near the fire alarm office around 59 The Fenway. Engine 37 arrived and ordered box 1591 to be transmitted bringing additional manpower to the scene. Car 4 arrived approximately 3 minutes later and ordered the 2nd alarm. Heavy smoke could be seen from downtown and across the harbor from points as far south as Hiungham MA. The Massachusetts State Police responded to the area to assist in the closure of the Bowker overpass from Storrow Drive due to equipment being in the roadway. Boston fire set up a command post in the parking lot at fire alarm operations.

Update: At 3:20 PM command was reporting the main body of fire was knocked down. Boylston Street has also been closed to traffic. The area is gridlocked. If you are commuting into or out of the area expect delays and plan accordingly

Pic courtesy of twitter user @Michaelpagewx

Pic courtesy of twitter user @brianjdamico

Marshfield Pedestrian Accident

Shortly after 6 PM tonight Marshfield police and fire officials responded to reports of a pedestrian struck in front of the Walgreen's located at 2177 Ocean St (Route 139). Upon arrival they had a male victim that had been struck by a Chevy blazer suv at a speed of 40 mph and was thrown approximately 10 feet. The victim was packaged and transported to the high school for an awaiting Medflight helicopter for a trip to a Boston area hospital. State police reconstruction & crime scene services section were requested to the scene for the investigation and the right lane was closed on Route 139 East at the accident scene for roughly 90 minutes.
The SUV pictured received minimal damage to the passenger side during the incident

Norton MA multiple alarm

Norton firefighters are battling a fire at 54 Crane St. The fire originated inside of an attached garage which is beginning to extend into a dwelling. A 3rd alarm has been transmitted and additional manpower & equipment are en route to the scene. No injuries have been reported so far. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Medford Crash sends 1 to Boston Hospital

Shortly after 7:30 tonight; Medford police & fire departments as well as the State Police responded to a report of a collision on Middlesex Avenue near the Malden city line. 1 occupant was transported to the Mass General Hospital in Boston for treatment of injuries sustained during the crash. 1 lane was getting by as crews removed the wreckage and the road was completely open just after 8 PM. I was a bit of a distance away when the crash was reported but I was able to catch the tow truck as it rolled back into the tow yard.

Storrow Drive pedestrian accident

Around 1:30 this morning Boston Fire & EMS crews as well as the Massachusetts State Police responded to reports of a pedestrian struck on Storrow Drive Eastbound near the Dartmouth St footbridge just prior to the Copley tunnel. Trooper Leo Santiago was first on the scene and discovered a pedestrian on the ground after what witnesses reported seeing a pedestrian "fall" from the footbridge and landed on top of a taxi. The victim, a male; was transported to the Tufts New England Medical Center in serious condition.The road was closed as was the foot bridge and all traffic was diverted off at the Dartmouth St ramp for approximately 2 1/2 hours so emergency personnel could respond & conduct the investigation.

It is unclear at this time whether it was a medical condition, suicide attempt, or was physically pushed off. The facts and circumstances of the events leading to the incident are being investigated by members of the State Police Detective unit and Crime scene services section. The victims identity has also been withheld pending proper notification. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Now for the best part: As troopers were working the crash; given the access to the tunnel was shut down for several hours it created a significant delay, apparently there was an impatient motorist who decided to lean on his horn all the way thru the back up not realizing what was ahead: SURPRISE! 4 troopers surrounded his vehicle and started questioning him. upon further investigation they ordered him out of the vehicle with a suspicion he had been drinking. A field sobriety test was conducted and the subject was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Brighton barracks for booking after operating under the influence. Minutes later a pedestrian tried to access the footbridge to get over to the other side; however it was closed due to the investigation so he decides to run across the westbound lanes to the eastbound side. troopers saw him and quickly approached the median strip in the roadway and pulled him against the fence to further protect him from oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes. You probably guessed it- Yes it was a drunk college student that was obviously obliterated to what was going on around him. The troopers hailed a taxi in the the backup and sent him on his way. I must say it was quite the interesting 2.5 hours I spent there.