Chester Police Log for Jan. 21-April 26, 2014

Editor’s Note: The Chester Telegraph Police Log is a sampling of incidents directly from Chester Police reports. We do not identify individual victims of crimes nor those who have been arrested.

 Tuesday, Jan. 21, 12:15 p.m.

Police assisted the Fire Department in a call for a chimney fire on Popple Dungeon Road that started when a wicker basket was thrown into the fire.

Sunday, Feb. 9, 4:10 p.m.

Police responded to a call of a multiple motor vehicle accident at Route 103 North near Jewett Road. When police arrived they found a red Dodge in the center of the southbound lane on Route 103 North. According to witnesses, the driver of the red Dodge had been heading toward Ludlow, driving in a careless manner, when he collided with two vehicles driving southbound.

The Dodge driver, who was identified through an expired Vermont driver’s license, was slumped over the the center console of the vehicle with his head on the passenger seat. A physician was checking on the driver, and confirmed that the driver had said that he had been drinking before the accident and that he also had been a patient of his at Brattleboro Retreat.  Police also smelled a faint odor of intoxicants. The red Dodge was registered to the driver’s father.

A Subaru Legacy was in a ditch off the northbound lane and a passenger, a woman from Massachusetts, was trapped in the passenger’s seat. She had cuts on her face from glass embedded from the force of the impact. Police were able to extract the passenger. Both the driver — a man from Massachusetts  — and the passenger in the Subaru said that they were heading southbound when the Dodge, heading north, passed a car and collided with them.

The driver and passenger of a third vehicle, a Land Rover with a Connecticut registration, said that they were all right, just shaken.  The Land Rover had been traveling southbound as well when it was hit by the red Dodge. Police concluded that on this stretch of Route 103 North, which travels along the Williams River, it lacks straightaways suitable for passing safely.

The Chester Fire Department arrived and was able to extract the Dodge driver using the Jaws of Life, and he and the occupants of the other cars were taken to Springfield Hospital. The driver of the Dodge was later transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in critical condition. The other patients were released throughout the night, the Massachusetts woman with a fractured sternum. It was later discovered that the State Police were trying to locate the Dodge driver because they believed he was on his way to assault a Cavendish man.

Friday, March 14, 1:56 p.m.

A man came into the Chester Police Department to ask if police could look into a potential scam. The man said that he had advertised tires for sale on Craig’s List and that he was contacted by a person who identified himself and said he was interested in buying the tires. The caller made an offer and said he would send a check for more than the cost, that the tire owner was to deposit the check then send the extra money to a person in Pennsylvania who would pick up the tires. Police said that this was a scam and that the tracking number for the shipment had been stolen from a California company.

Wednesday, March 19, 3:08 p.m.

Police were sent to the Flamstead Road area for the report of a house alarm. Police saw no vehicles in the driveway. But a sliding glass door was open. Police entered the home, found a broken window in the living room with glass on the floor, several DVDs scattered about and a cable box. An empty TV stand was spotted. Upon closer examination, it appeared that someone had parked in the driveway, walked around to the back of the house, climbed a snowbank and forced their way into the home, exiting through the sliding glass door. The owner said the television was an Emerson 39-inch LCD worth about $450. Several remotes were also taken, but none belonged to the TV.

Wednesday, April 2, midnight

A woman called saying that she had received a nasty text message on her phone. Police advised her to make a print copy of the message and fill out a statement for the Police Department. The woman brought the printed messages to the department but stated that she no longer wanted to pursue any investigation because she had gotten to the bottom of the source.

Thursday, April 3, 11:25 a.m.

An anonymous complainant called dispatch about a suspected grow operation. When police responded, they discovered that there was a legal medical marijuana grow operation for the  owner of the property, who suffered from chronic back pain. The Marijuana Program administrator confirmed that the operation was on the registry and the owner proved that he was in compliance.

Saturday, April 5, 6:54 p.m.

A driver at Route 11 and Blue Hill Road advised that as she was driving her Honda at 40 mph, she struck a deer that had jumped out in front of her car. Police found the deer and the Honda’s fender in the middle of the road, which they then cleared.

Saturday, April 19, 12:19 p.m.

Police were called to the Depot Street area for the report of a dog bite. The victim said that he was walking to the Post Office when a black dog bit him. The man had a visible bleeding wound on his left forearm and said that this was the second time the dog has bitten him. The dog was chained but the chain was long enough that it could leave the owner’s property. A witness said that the dog doesn’t like the victim. The dog appeared to be friendly and showed no signs of aggression with the officer. Contacted by phone, the owner said that he thought his workers would have brought the dog inside by the time the bite occurred, that the dog was registered and that it was up-to-date with shots. Records show that the dog was not registered with the Town of Chester but is up-to-date on shots.

Wednesday, April 23, 3:51 p.m.

A driver came to the Chester Police Department to report that her windshield had been cracked at 10 a.m. that day as she was driving on Route 103 toward Bellows Falls. She said an excavator truck had passed her heading north near the Vermont Country Store when a rock flew from the truck and struck her windshield causing a 2+ inch hole. The driver said she turned around and flagged down the truck driver, who gave her the company’s business card and said his boss would handle the insurance issues.

Saturday, April 26, 4:41 p.m.

Police were called to a home on Route 10 to look into a report of a theft of a prescription for drugs taken from a car. The victim had been treated at the ER the night before with metal in an eye and was given a prescription for percocet. The prescription had not been filled when they got home and they left the script in the glove compartment of the car.  The victim had a suspect, who was not supposed to be on the property but showed up that morning. Not only was the script missing, two packs of cigarettes were also gone. Police filled out a trespass notice for the man and advised that the victim call his doctor to get another script written. Police also called surrounding pharmacies to inform them of the incident and learned that the prescription had not been filled. The suspect was contacted and denied his culpability but admitted to being on the property.