Crashing the drive-through at a Chick-fil-A in Brockton
Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesserknown — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our communities.
DRIVE-THROUGH CRASHER
On Sept. 28, Brockton police and firefighters responded to a report of a vehicle crash after a Volvo hit a fence and ended up in the drive-through of a Chick-fil-A restaurant. According to a tweet by the fire department, the car was being driven on Westgate Drive when it veered into the fence and ended up teetering over the edge of a wall bordering the drive-through lane. There were no reports of any injuries. The driver fled the scene. A tow truck was called to remove the Volvo from its precarious position.
ANTLER SPRAY?
At 4:30 p.m. Sept. 26, Wilmington police investigated an interesting call about some suspicious activity that transpired in a white 2022 GMC Canyon pickup truck. According to the police log, the truck’s owner alleged that someone entered it and “sprayed deer antler spray on his center console” while the engine was idling. He was not in the truck at the time. If you’ve never heard of deer antler spray, it’s sold as a supplement that supposedly increases athletic performance. Police responded to the scene but could find no trace of the scent in the truck. “He believes it may have dissipated,” police noted.
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
It’s never fun to break down on the side of the road. What’s worse? To find out that help is more than an hour away. That was precisely the situation one stranded motorist found herself in on the evening of Oct. 1, when she ran out of gas while driving in the town of Hopkinton. Lucky for her, Officer Matthew LaTour was ready to help. After finding out the long lag time for roadside assistance, LaTour gave the woman a ride to procure a container of fuel.
The department shared on Facebook a photo of LaTour fueling up her vehicle so she could continue on her way. “Now that’s service with a smile!” police wrote.
‘SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER WEARING FACE PAINT’
On Oct. 6, Hopkinton police responded to a report that a “suspicious character wearing face paint” was attempting to pull cars over on on
Hayden Rowe Street, where several schools are located. The log entry stated that school staff saw the person doing this. Police checked the area and couldn’t find anyone fitting that description.
IMAGINE IF DEER USED CROSSWALKS
On Oct. 6, Hanson police posted a photo on Facebook of two deer walking by the Maquan School, and used the cute pic to make a public service announcement about the presence of the animals on local roadways. “We are working on a pilot program for our local deer population. We are training them to cross the street at cross walks. Here two trainees are practicing at the Maquan School,” police joked. “Seriously, deer are moving more this time of year and they don’t pay attention to traffic.”
ANOTHER REASON TO GET RID OF THOSE MERCURY THERMOMETERS
On Oct. 1, firefighters responded to the 200 block of Broadway in Hanover for a report of a mercury spill from a broken thermometer. The state Department of Fire Service’s hazmat team also responded, and hazmat technicians and apparatus were at the scene. State fire officials issued a warning reminding the public about the dangers of mercury, which can be found not only in thermometers but also fluorescent light bulbs, thermostats, and other products. If you still have a mercury thermometer — get rid of it. Put it in sand or cat litter inside a jar with a tight lid, and take it to a household hazardous waste drop-off to dispose of it properly. If you have questions about the disposal of mercury thermometers and other products, call 866-9MERCURY for more information. And if you happen to break such a thermometer, don’t ever try to clean up the mercury yourself. Call 911 immediately, open the windows to ventilate the room, and leave the cleaning to the professionals.