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Man Who Shot Himself In Hand, Rival In Groin Gets 2.5 Years Behind Bars: DA Man Who Shot Himself In Hand, Rival In Groin Gets 2.5 Years Behind Bars: DA
Man Who Shot Himself In Hand, Rival In Groin Gets 2.5 Years Behind Bars: DA A 20-year-old Berkshire County man admitted to firing a gun inside of a car sending the bullet through his hand and into another man's groin during a fight, authorities said.  Ryan Starbird, of Pittsfield, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a loaded firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, and assault and battery by firing a gun, the Berkshire County District Attorney said.  Starbird was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and three years of probation.  The shootin…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Pregnant Woman Fatally Stabbed In Lynn By Ex-Boyfriend's Brother: DA Pregnant Woman Fatally Stabbed In Lynn By Ex-Boyfriend's Brother: DA
Pregnant Woman Fatally Stabbed In Lynn By Ex-Boyfriend's Brother: DA A 26-year-old man is accused of fatally stabbing his brother's pregnant ex-girlfriend at her home in Lynn, authorities said.  Zachary Vozzella, of Lynn, was arraigned Thursday, Aug. 1, and charged with murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, the Essex County District Attorney said. He pleaded not guilty.  The body of 25-year-old Brianna Welsh was found at her home at 254 Lynnway #329 Wednesday morning after police responded to a 911 call. She had been stabbed repeatedly, the prosecutor said.  Zachary Vozzella is the brother of Brendon Vozzella, who …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Alleged Drunk-Driving Crash Western Mass Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Alleged Drunk-Driving Crash
Western Mass Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Alleged Drunk-Driving Crash Police have identified a 59-year-old Hampden County man as the victim in an alleged drunk driving crash last week.  James Menard, of Chicopee, was killed on Thursday, July 25, after another driver crashed into his car along Memorial Drive in Chicopee, pinning him inside, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said. A passenger in Menard's car suffered minor injuries in the crash. Related: Driver Was Drunk When He Caused Crash That Killed Chicopee Man, Police Say Firefighters cut him from the car and rushed him to an area hospital, but doctors could not save Menard's life. …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Worcester Man Seriously Injured In Hit-Run Crash; Police Asking For Help Worcester Man Seriously Injured In Hit-Run Crash; Police Asking For Help
Worcester Man Seriously Injured In Hit-Run Crash; Police Asking For Help Police are asking the public for information after a man was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash as he crossed a Worcester street earlier this month.  Police were called to June Street around 3:10 a.m. on July 19 and found a 26-year-old man suffering from serious injuries, authorities said. Police did not update the man's condition in their Wednesday, July 31, press release.  Surveillance video shows the man crossing the street on a scooter when a blue four-door sedan crashes into him and speeds off, police said. The driver did not slow down or stop. Police say the car …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Driver In Fatal Chicopee Crash Under Influence At Time Of Wreck: Police Driver In Fatal Chicopee Crash Under Influence At Time Of Wreck: Police
Driver In Fatal Chicopee Crash Under Influence At Time Of Wreck: Police A Hampshire County man was drunk when he crashed into a vehicle in Chicopee, killing the driver and injuring the passenger, authorities said in an update.  Andrew Wilkins, 37, of South Hadley, was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, Chicopee police said on Tuesday, July 30. Police were called to a two-car crash on Memorial Drive Thursday night, July 25. Wilkins was attempting to leave the scene when they arrived, authorities said.  An officer stopped him while another helped the driver of the second vehicle, who was trapped inside the wreckage.  Firefight…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Body Of Missing Mass. Teen Pulled From Walden Pond Body Of Missing Mass. Teen Pulled From Walden Pond
Body Of Missing Mass. Teen Pulled From Walden Pond The body of a teenager pulled from Walden Pond on Tuesday morning, July 30, is believed to belong to a 17-year-old who went missing last week, authorities said.  Brian Lopez, of Lynn, who was a rising senior at Lynn Classical High School, was reported missing on Friday. Police had marshaled an aggressive campaign to find him, but all early indications point to the body belonging to Lopez, the Essex County District Attorney's Office said.  The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will make the final identification and cause of death. Police do not believe he was killed and say there is…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Mass. Man Busted For Drunk Driving, Then Busted For It Again: Police Mass. Man Busted For Drunk Driving, Then Busted For It Again: Police
Mass. Man Busted For Drunk Driving, Then Busted For It Again: Police Hello, it's me again.  A 40-year-old man has kept Chelmsford police busy after he was stopped twice within 77 hours for allegedly driving drunk, authorities said.  Cesar De Sousa Coutinho, 40, of Lowell, was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of liquor, possession of an open container, driving with a suspended license, and other traffic infractions, Chelmsford police said.  Police first arrested Coutinho on Wednesday, July 24, after pulling him over on Littleton Road around 9:15 p.m. An officer said he was driving his 2014 GMC Terria without turning on hi…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
'This Was An Avoidable Crash': Driver Admits To Fatal Charlemont Motorcycle Wreck 'This Was An Avoidable Crash': Driver Admits To Fatal Charlemont Motorcycle Wreck
'This Was An Avoidable Crash': Driver Admits To Fatal Charlemont Motorcycle Wreck A 39-year-old Berkshire County woman admitted to causing a 2023 crash that killed a Franklin County motorcyclist, authorities said on Tuesday, July 30.  Melissa Repka, of North Adams, pleaded guilty to motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation on Tuesday, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. A judge sentenced her to two-and-a-half years in prison, though she will only spend nine months behind bars. The remainder was suspended, as she serves two years of probation, the prosecutor said.  Repka was driving her 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee east on Rout…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Teen Hit, Killed By Tractor-Trailer Walking Along I-91 In Western Mass Teen Hit, Killed By Tractor-Trailer Walking Along I-91 In Western Mass
Teen Hit, Killed By Tractor-Trailer Walking Along I-91 In Western Mass Police are investigating after a tractor-trailer hit and killed a 19-year-old man on Monday, July 29, in Hampshire County.  The teenager was walking on I-91 in Northampton near the southbound on-ramp of Damon Road/Bridge Street rotary just before 10 p.m. when he was struck, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.  The man died at the scene. His name was not released as authorities notified his family.  The 56-year-old Canadian truck driver remained at the scene of the crash.  No charges have been filed, but state police are investigating the circumstance…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Connecticut 17-Year-Old Killed In Western Mass. Crash Connecticut 17-Year-Old Killed In Western Mass. Crash
Connecticut 17-Year-Old Killed In Western Mass. Crash A Connecticut teenager was killed in a Western Massachusetts crash on Sunday, July 28, authorities said.  The 17-year-old girl, from Enfield in Hartford County who was not identified, died just after the 2 p.m. wreck on North Blandford Road in the town of Blandford, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said.  Blandford is about 45 minutes west of Springfield.  Authorities have not released details about what led to the crash or how many vehicles were involved. No other fatalities were reported.  Blandford firefighters and police closed North Blandford Road for s…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Stoughton Man ID'd As DOT Worker Hit, Killed Picking Up Debris On Mass. Highway Stoughton Man ID'd As DOT Worker Hit, Killed Picking Up Debris On Mass. Highway
Stoughton Man ID'd As DOT Worker Hit, Killed Picking Up Debris On Mass. Highway Authorities have identified the 57-year-old Massachusetts Department of Transportation worker who was hit and killed Saturday night, July 27, while picking up debris along Route 24 in West Bridgewater.  David "Spanky" Sousa, of Stoughton, was struck around 9:30 p.m. while working on the side of the northbound lane near Ext 28B, The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said.  Sousa is a husband and father who has served as a former Stoughton Select Board chairman.  The driver who struck him remained at the scene, the prosecutor's office said. Their name was not released…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Dies Trying To Run From State Police In Springfield Crash: Troopers Man Dies Trying To Run From State Police In Springfield Crash: Troopers
Man Dies Trying To Run From State Police In Springfield Crash: Troopers A 41-year-old Springfield man died after he crashed his car trying to evade a traffic stop, authorities said.  The crash happened just after 2:20 a.m. Friday, July 26, on Route 291 near Exit 4 in Springfield. A State Trooper attempted to pull over a 2013 Infinity G37 after it drifted over the line.  The driver initially signaled that they planned to stop, but he floored it and sped away at speeds over 100 miles per hour, State Police said. The trooper did not pursue the car, authorities said in a news release.  The driver attempted to leave the highway at Exit 4 but was trav…

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by Josh Lanier