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Image by Westwood Minute/Darlene Wong Cancell.
9-11-2023 11:34pm
Police Log: 2 Drivers Fall Asleep at the Wheel, Cause 2 Accidents with One Injury
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.
Sunday, September 10th
Slap to Child Instigates Well-Being Check
12:46 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Lambert’s Plaza on Providence Highway when a store employee witnessed a woman slapping a teenaged male in the parking lot. She reportedly screamed at the teen before driving away. The employee provided police with a license plate number. Police found the license plate belonged to a Ford Escape registered to a woman in Dorchester.
After being unable to contact the woman, Westwood Police requested Boston Police assistance with a well-being check on the teenager. The Boston Police dispatch operator informed Westwood Police that someone would call back if there was anything to report. It appears there was no need for a call back, as the police report does not indicate anything further.
Slashed Tire on Lancaster Drive
9:17 p.m. A visitor to Westwood reported having a car tire slashed while parked at a Westwood residence on Lancaster Drive.
Saturday, September 9th
Driver Falls Asleep at the Wheel, Causes Property Damage
7:57 a.m. In the vicinity of 477 Hartford Street, a 2010 Ford was traveling north when its operator, a man from Belmont, fell asleep. The vehicle drifted to the edge of the road, sideswiped a recycling bin, and struck rocks that were located at the edge of a property, resulting in a blown tire. The vehicle then hit five solar garden lights and a mail box before stopping.
Police arrived and found the Belmont man looking very tired. He admitted to falling asleep at the wheel.
The property owner approached and informed police that the incident had caused several hundreds of dollars worth of damage. The driver offered to pay in cash. The resident declined, preferring to work it out through insurance. No citation was issued.
Not What You Think
4:12 p.m. A caller reported that someone appeared to be smoking marijuana while sitting inside a silver sedan in the CVS store parking lot on Washington Street. An officer responded and spoke to the individual inside the sedan, a man from Cambridge. The officer determined that the man was not smoking marijuana.
Confused Uber Driver Stirs Suspicion
8:48 p.m. A resident of Fox Hill Road called police to report that a suspicious vehicle was repeatedly pulling into the resident’s driveway. Police responded and found an Uber vehicle in the area. The Uber driver appears to have stopped at the wrong address. The officer assisted the Uber driver in finding the correct driveway.
Friday, September 8th
No More Free Smokes
6:25 a.m. A clerk at Budget Inn on Route 1 complained that a man, dressed in a red flannel shirt with green vest and black baseball cap was digging through the cigarette disposal receptacle outside the building, and throwing used cigarettes on the sidewalk. When the clerk told the man to pick them up, he reportedly shouted at the clerk.
While speaking with the clerk, an officer observed that a man matching the description was standing outside, between Budget Inn and Season’s convenience store. The officer spoke to the man, a resident of the inn, who confirmed that he had been looking for used cigarettes that could be smoked. The officer instructed him not to repeat the performance. The man agreed.
Dog Bite
11:11 a.m. A resident of Abbey Road reported being bitten by a dog while taking a morning walk. The complainant told police that she was walking by another woman with a leashed beagle when the beagle bit her. She stated that the bite occurred on the right leg, below the knee, and broke the skin.
The dog’s owner apologized, and assured the complainant that the dog was up to date on vaccinations.
The complainant contacted her doctor. The doctor reportedly advised her that no immediate medical care was needed.
Police located the owner of the biting beagle. The dog will be quarantined for 10 days from the date of the incident. An animal control officer will be following up.
A Pattern of Theft
5:04 p.m. At Ulta Beauty, a police officer was shown video of a shoplifting that occurred three days prior. The video showed a man, a woman, and a male who appeared to be around 15 years old. The man and woman took five bottles of fragrance off the shelves, valued at $600. The juvenile did not appear to take any items.
When store employees confronted the woman, she left the store, entered a grey Toyota Avalon, and sped out of the parking lot. The officer was able to find a similar incident on August 31 at an Ulta Beauty store in Hingham, where security footage appeared to show the same individuals and the same getaway car. No license plate number was obtained.
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Thursday, September 7th
Three Vehicle Collision Outside Post Office
11:31 a.m. Around the area of 307 Washington Street, in front of the Islington post office, a 2020 Lexus driven by a woman from Pembroke was turning left from East Street to Washington Street when a 2016 Mercedes, driven by a man from Franklin, blocked her path by pulling out of a parallel parking space.
The Lexus struck the Mercedes on the driver’s side door. It pushed the Mercedes into a 2017 Ford that was parallel parked in front of the post office.
There were no injuries. All vehicles were able to drive away from the scene.
Trashing the Bathroom
6:36 p.m. An officer recorded a complaint from an employee of Country Ski and Sport shop on Providence Highway. The employee informed the officer that a skinny male with brown hair, white tee shirt and shorts entered the store’s public restroom. After spending about 20 minutes in there, the individual left the store.
The employee later entered the bathroom to find it a “complete mess.” The employee was able to provide the officer with a license plate of the individual’s vehicle. There was no permanent property damage. The employee requested that the incident be recorded.
Wednesday, September 6th
Accident While Breakfasting
6:50 a.m. During stop-and-go traffic on High Street near First Baptist Church of Westwood, a 2008 Toyota rear-ended a 2008 Toyota driven by a woman from Lynn. The driver of the trailing vehicle, a 22 year old from Walpole, stated that she was eating breakfast while driving. She apparently took her eyes off the road for a second and stuck the other car. There were no injuries.
Another Driver Falls Asleep At the Wheel
1:13 p.m. Around the area of 637 High Street, a 2017 Dodge driven by a man from Norwood rear-ended a 2019 Land Rover driven by a man from Westwood. Video of the incident showed the Land Rover slowly traveling west on High Street. The video showed the Dodge rear-ending the Land Rover, without braking.
The Norwood man who drove the Dodge admitted to police that he had been awake all night, and had fallen asleep at the wheel. He was taken to the hospital by Westwood Fire paramedics for an injured knee. The driver and passenger of the Land Rover were uninjured. Police issued the Norwood man a citation for following too closely.
Homeless Camp Discovered
3:18 p.m. Police received a report that a possible homeless camp had been constructed behind the Shell Season’s convenience store on Providence Highway. Police found a single, makeshift shelter that appeared to have been unoccupied for a few days. No one was present. Police also discovered a wallet containing information for a man and woman from Quincy. In a second check of the area a few hours later, the camp was still unoccupied.
Tuesday, September 5th
Shoplifting in Two Towns
2:58 p.m. Police responded to Ulta Beauty to take a report of a shoplifting that occurred on September 2. The store manager informed police that an individual with red hair in a black hair net, wearing a black and white shirt with a bikini print, letterman’s jacket and carrying a grey handbag, placed items into a bag and left without paying. The suspect, who appeared to be a biological male presenting as female, entered a red, Chevy Equinox.
Ulta Beauty staff provided police with the plate number. Police identified the vehicle’s owner as the same person facing charges for a similar incident in Stoughton. The 20 year-old resident of Boston will be receiving a summons to appear in Dedham District Court for shoplifting.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and Westwood Police for contributing information for this article.
Updated 9/12/2023 at 9:25 p.m. The headline of this article has been corrected to indicate one injury resulted from incidents of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. The original headline incorrectly stated there were no injuries. A reference to "Land Rover" has been corrected to "Dodge" in the story, Another Driver Falls Asleep At the Wheel.
