A Brockton man is facing a stack of charges after police say a stolen SUV blasted through Weymouth on Tuesday morning, kicked off a highway chase, and ended in a foot pursuit through nearby woods. According to investigators, an automated license plate reader flagged the vehicle as stolen, and the driver took off when officers tried to pull him over. Police say the SUV was eventually abandoned near the Braintree exit off Route 3, where the suspect ran into the woods before being tracked down and arrested without incident. He is being held on multiple charges, including receiving a stolen motor vehicle and failing to stop for police.
How officers tracked the SUV
Detectives say the chase began around 10:11 a.m., when a FLOCK license plate reader sent an alert for a red 2008 Chevrolet Equinox that had been reported stolen out of Salisbury as it entered Weymouth via Thicket Street. Officers located the SUV on Route 18 and attempted a motor vehicle stop, but police say the driver refused to pull over and fled onto Route 3 North, creating hazardous conditions for other motorists. These details come from reporting and a police statement, according to Newport Dispatch.
What a Flock alert does
Automated license plate readers like Flock’s network are designed to flag vehicles on hotlists, such as stolen cars, and deliver real time alerts to detectives and dispatch centers so officers can intercept suspect vehicles. As explained by Flock Safety, those alerts can be routed to patrol units or regional real time centers to speed responses. Independent trackers of police technology also note that the Weymouth Police Department is listed among agencies using third party investigative platforms, a capability that shapes how local departments coordinate multi agency searches and investigations, per the Atlas of Surveillance.
Search, pursuit and charges
Police say the driver pulled off near the Braintree exit and tried to head into a wooded area, then abandoned the SUV and ran off. A coordinated search by Weymouth police, Braintree police and Massachusetts State Police brought in drones and a State Police K 9 unit to sweep the woods and nearby neighborhoods. Officers say they located and arrested 50 year old James L. Widener Jr. of Brockton without incident near 39 Washington Street at about 11:57 a.m. He faces multiple counts, including receiving a stolen motor vehicle (subsequent offense), failure to stop for police, possession of a Class B substance, operating with a revoked license as a habitual traffic offender, negligent operation and a passing violation, and is being held pending a bail decision, according to Newport Dispatch.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with dashcam footage or information from the Route 18 and Route 3 corridor is asked to contact the Weymouth Police Department’s non emergency line so investigators can follow up.
