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Image by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell.
4-03-2023 9:49pm
Police Log: Five Vehicle Accident with Injuries, Search for Driver Who Struck a Pedestrian and More
Darlene Cancell
Editor
The news described in Westwood Minute's weekly Police Log article series is primarily based on selected information from the Westwood Police Department's daily log and information provided by Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and police staff. Occasionally, a few facts from other sources may be woven into these stories.
Friday, March 31st
Dam Removal Creates Larger Problem
4:25 p.m. Police responded to the 1300 block of High Street on a report of two males who appeared to be trying to remove a natural dam at Millbrook Road. By the time police arrived, the dam had been removed. Police learned the individuals were abutters to the dam who were upset that water was collecting on their property(ies). However, the removal of the dam caused water to inundate other neighbors’ properties. Police contacted Westwood’s conservation agent and will also notify the town administrator about the incident.
Thursday, March 30th
Pedestrian Struck by SUV in Parking Lot
3:58 p.m. Officers were dispatched to University Station after receiving a call from a pedestrian who reported being struck by a vehicle. The pedestrian, a Natick resident, told officers that as she exited the Ulta Beauty store, she saw a black SUV pulling out of a row of parked cars and turn toward her. Assuming it would stop, she stepped into the lane to cross the parking lot. The complainant told officers that the SUV knocked her over into a patch of mulch, whereupon the driver stopped to check on her. The driver, described as a white woman with “red-brown” hair in a puffy brown coat, left the scene before police arrived. The victim was transported to a hospital. It appears that the SUV ran over her foot. Police are investigating and attempting to identify the driver.
Teenage Girl is Followed by Suspicious Man While Shopping in Store
7:46 p.m. Police responded to Ulta Beauty after receiving a report that a man was following a teenage girl in the store. A mother and her teenage daughter had been shopping at Target when the teen left to shop at Ulta Beauty on her own. Both stores are within walking distance in the University Station shopping area. Inside the Ulta store, a man began following her. He gave her his business card which contained his name and phone number. Police believe the man to be a Dedham resident.
Using the business card, police contacted the man who stated that he believed the teen was an adult. Police made it clear that the teen does not have the appearance of an adult. Staff at Ulta Beauty told police that they had seen the man in the store before, and they will issue him a notice of trespass. Police informed the man of the trespass and he indicated that he would not be returning to the store.
Disturbance at Playground
10:47 p.m. Police were summoned to the School Street Playground for a domestic incident. As a result of the incident, a Westwood resident and her husband will both be receiving a summons to court.
Wednesday, March 29th
Fraudulent Check is Cashed
11:44 a.m. A Dedham resident reported that a fraudulent check was cashed at Dedham Savings in Westwood. Her vehicle had been broken into on March 25th in Winchester, and two credit cards were taken. Recently, her bank informed her that someone had cashed a check on her account. The check, which the Dedham resident had not written, was made out in the amount of $2,264.66. A person deposited $264 from the check while cashing out the remaining $2,000. Police are investigating.
Unlocked Car is Easy Target for Theft
1:45 p.m. Police took a report from a Walpole resident who complained of having a debit card and credit card taken from an unlocked, parked vehicle at Hale Education. The incident occurred on March 25th between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Westwood Police remind residents to lock their cars no matter where their vehicles are parked, and no matter for how long.
Monday, March 27th
Five-Vehicle Accident with Injuries on High Street
6:37 p.m. Two adults and a child were transported to area hospitals following their involvement in an accident involving five vehicles on High Street.
A man from Westwood had stopped his 2021 Nissan Sentra in the westbound lane of High Street, preparing to make a left turn onto Oriole Road, when a 2014 Cadillac Escalade rear-ended the sedan. The collision pushed the Nissan Sentra into the path of a 2014 Jeep that was travelling in the eastbound lane.
A Walpole man who was driving a 2015 Hyundai Genesis in the eastbound lane of High Street swerved to avoid the accident. It appears that this fourth vehicle may have been struck by the Nissan Sentra, causing the Genesis to spin into a fifth vehicle - a 2012 Honda Pilot in the westbound lane of High Street.
Three people were taken to the hospital. The Walpole man who operated the Hyundai Genesis received injuries in multiple areas of concern. Westwood Fire paramedics transported him to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Boston. A mother and son who were traveling in the Honda Pilot both complained of pain. They were transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Needham. No other injuries were reported.
The vehicles sustained major damage. The Nissan Sentra and Honda Pilot were both totaled. The Escalade and Jeep each received front end damage. The Hyundai received front end damage and damage to both sides. During the accident, it also knocked a street sign down to the sidewalk.
Locker Room Theft of Credit Cards
8:35 p.m. A resident of Norwood told police that two credit cards were stolen from the resident’s locker at University Station’s Life Time Fitness. Someone attempted to make two fraudulent charges using the card(s) around 6:30 p.m. that evening. Both charges were declined.
There was an attempted $950 purchase at Christian Dior and an attempted $1328 purchase at Nieman Marcus. Both store locations are in Boston, and are situated approximately 100 feet away from each other.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.
