Published in the January 15, 2018 edition.
WAKEFIELD — Flooding on New Salem Street led to a dramatic rescue by firefighters of a mother and a small child after the car they were in stalled in the flooded street and drifted partially into the marsh along the side of the road at about 8:30 Saturday morning
Fire Chief Michael Sullivan said that Lt. John Walsh and Firefighter Jonathan Murphy had to don water suits in order to reach the car and rescue the woman and her child from nearly four feet of frigid water. The mother and child were not injured.
Firefighters also assisted Howe’s Towing in attaching a cable to the car so that it could be extracted from the marsh. Police and the DPW were called in to close the road and place barrels to prevent other vehicles from entering.
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At about 5 p.m. on Friday, police were called to the parking lot at MG Fitness on Broadway where two cars were broken into and purses stolen. Police said that windows were smashed on the 2013 Toyota Highlander and the 2016 Honda CRV. One of the purses was later found in a trash barrel outside of Walgreens on Main Street.
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There were no injuries, but one driver was cited for failure to yield after a crash between a 2006 Nissan and a 2004 Toyota at Main and Water streets just after 10 p.m. Friday.
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Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash on Humphrey Street that was reported at about 7:45 Saturday morning. Police said that a 2012 Chevy Cruze was hit by a another vehicle that left its license plate stuck in the bumper of the Chevy. The plate came back to a 2018 BMW, which police believe may have been stolen. The BMW has not been located.
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Just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, police took a report of a hit-and-run crash at Main and Water Streets. The victim’s 1992 Oldsmobile 88 was hit from behind while stopped in traffic. The other car left the area.
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One individual was taken to the hospital by ambulance a about 3 a.m. Sunday morning after a two-car crash on the northbound side of Route 128, on the overpass directly above the Route 129 Rotary at Exit 40. State Police are investigating the crash.
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The Fire Department responded to 34 calls over the weekend. Nineteen of those calls were for medical aid. A number of the non-medical calls were related to flooding. Other calls concerned arcing electrical wires.
