Top story: Serious injuries in Falmouth crash
WEST FALMOUTH - A two-vehicle crash at the bottom of the southbound Route 28 offramp to Brick Kiln Road resulted in two drivers being seriously injured. The call came in about 1:10 a.m. Police say a Ford Taurus driven by Edmund Lopes III, 21, of East Falmouth crossed into the omcoming lane and was struck broadside by a Saturn sedan driven by Clorissa Ann Decosta-Hicks, 17, of Bourne. The impact caused the Taurus to roll on its roof, while the Saturn's engine was pushed into the drivers compartment. Falmouth Fire Rescue used the "Jaws of Life" to extricate both drivers. Both of the drivers had serious injuries and were transported to Falmouth Hospital. Decosta-Hicks, was immediately transferred at the hospital to a waiting MedFlight helicopter which flew her to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Lopes was also later transferred to a Boston hospital.
Falmouth Police were on scene assisting with the rescue and investigating the cause of the crash with the help of the Mass State Police and Barnstable County Sheriff's Department crash investigators. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor but excessive speed did. Charges are pending against Lopes in connection with the crash.
Falmouth Fire Rescue commited two ambulances, two engines and their Heavy Rescue to the crash. Bourne Fire Rescue provided units to standby at the two Falmouth stations emptied by the rescue.
The area was closed to traffic for about 2 1/2 hours while crash reconstruction was completed.
Photos by C. Eric Tinglof/CWN
Man falls through ice in Centerville
CENTERVILLE - DESPITE THE COLD SNAP THE ICE IS NOT SAFE! That's the warning being sounded again after a near tragedy in Centerville. Shortly after 3 p.m. a man fell through thin ice on Round Pond. Luckily he was able to get out on his own. The victim was evalauted for possible hypothermia but declined to go to the hospital.
Gas leak makes for tense moments in Dennis
WEST DENNIS - A gas leak inside a West Dennis home made for some tense moments. According to reports a gas clothes dryer was being installed in the basement of 4 Eastman Drive about 2 p.m., when the fitting on the gas line was accidentally broken off. Gas poured into the home creating a potentially explosive situation. Firefighters rushed to the scene and were able to shut off the gas. They then had to carefully ventilate the structure. National Grid was called to make repairs.
Coast Guard assists disabled fishing vessel
CHATHAM - A Station Chatham, Mass. 42-foot rescue boat crew assisted a disabled fishing vessel 17 miles east of Chatham at 11 p.m. Saturday after the 76-foot boat with four people on board lost power.
The fishing vessel Maria Jo-Ann called Sector Southeastern New England at 9:30 p.m.to report it was adrift and taking on water in 2-to-3-foot seas.
Station Chatham launched at 10 p.m. and arrived on scene at 11 p.m., and the crew passed a pump and portable radio over to the stern trawler, home ported in Boston.
The fishing boat crew were able to restore power at 12:25 a.m. and the vessel is returning to Boston today.
The Chatham rescue boat stood by until 1:12 a.m. to make sure the fishing boat did not lose power again, and the Maria Jo-Ann is maintaining radio contact with the Coast Guard as it transits to port.
Two Coast Guard cutters were diverted to assist, but resumed normal operations when the fishing boat was able to maintain power.
"The fishing boat had no ability to pump out water coming in, so we launched to pass them a pump and to stand by if the situation got worse," said Chief Petty Officer Charles Morgan, the operations officer at Station Chatham. "We were glad the crew was able to restore power and everybody is safe."
US Coast Guard Press Release
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