What started as a Sunday evening drive along Route 10 in Northfield ended with a damaged guardrail, two people in custody, and a trip to the hospital. Police say a driver led Gill and Northfield officers on a pursuit, with stop sticks eventually deployed and the fleeing vehicle crashing before both occupants ran off on foot. Officers caught up with them soon after, and both were taken to the hospital with what were described as minor injuries.
The chase and capture
According to Franklin County Now, Gill and Northfield officers were first on the scene, with Bernardston and Greenfield police joining in the response. Officers used stop sticks in an effort to slow the vehicle. The driver then lost control, hit a guardrail, and both the driver and passenger bolted from the car.
Police later tracked down and arrested both individuals, who were then transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, Franklin County Now reported.
Why Route 10 matters
Route 10 is Northfield’s primary artery and carries more vehicles than any other roadway in town. The town’s Northfield master plan cites several Route 10 intersections among the community’s highest-accident locations. That track record helps explain why multiple departments move quickly when reports of dangerous driving come in along the corridor and why tools like stop sticks are part of the playbook to end pursuits.
The same master plan calls for targeted safety and roadway improvements along Main Street and Route 10 with an eye toward reducing crash risk in the long term.
Charges and next steps
As reported by Franklin County Now, the driver was arrested on numerous charges, although the specific counts were not listed. Authorities had not released further information about the case, including the names of those involved, at the time of the initial report.
