A high-speed pursuit roaring down Interstate 93 south ended in dramatic fashion Friday when the fleeing vehicle was abandoned in the packed Wegmans parking lot on University Avenue in Westwood. Witnesses said several people bolted from the car after it rolled to a stop with its front bumper pressed against a curb.
Officers Sweep The Plaza
Troopers arrived to find the car empty, then conducted a detailed search of the vehicle, including the trunk, while state and local officers fanned out through the Wegmans store and the surrounding shopping center. Shoppers watched as cruisers circled the plaza and officers moved aisle to aisle, checking exits and side corridors.
People on scene told reporters they saw multiple individuals sprint away from the vehicle the moment it stopped, and the heavy police presence continued across the plaza as officers searched for the suspects, according to WCVB.
How The Pursuit Unfolded
State police said troopers first tried to pull the vehicle over on I-93 south in Canton for motor-vehicle violations. Instead of stopping, the driver took off. At one point, a trooper radioed that they had lost visual contact with the car and were "approaching in left lane at 100 mph." The vehicle was later located in the Wegmans lot, where the chase came to its abrupt end.
Suspects were described as a man, a woman and possibly a third person. That account, along with details from the on-scene search, came from WCVB.
Holiday Traffic And Response
The chase played out just as the region geared up for Fourth of July travel. Transportation officials had already warned drivers to brace for heavier volumes on I-93 and had shifted to an early HOV-lane schedule for the holiday weekend, according to MassDOT. That kind of traffic environment can turn a police pursuit and subsequent search into a logistical headache, for officers and commuters alike.
State and local police stayed in the area for several hours as the search continued. Officials had not released information about any arrests or charges by the time the initial report was published.
