Williamstown Couple Arraigned on Larceny Charges

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two former employees of Village Ambulance in Williamstown were arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Berkshire Superior Court on larceny charges.

The married couple, Albert H. Miller, 59, and Cara J. Miller, 58, had not guilty-pleas entered on their behalf before Judge John Agostini, who released both on personal recognize.

The Millers are accused of stealing some $240,000 from the nonprofit ambulance service over a period of five years, until their dismissal in December 2011. Albert Miller was the general manager.

Albert Miller is charged with one count of larceny, ongoing and continuing offense and Cara Miller also with one count of larceny, ongoing and continuing offense, and one count of embezzlement.

The investigation was conducted by state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office.

Williamstown Closes Spring Street For 'Beeping' Package

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Spring Street was shut down for just short of an hour Wednesday morning after the Post Office received a suspicious beeping package.

Police report that Spring Street was closed at 9:20 a.m. investigate the package because it was emitting a series of beeping sounds. The town's main shopping street was closed as police and firefighters inspected the item.

Chief Kyle Johnson said the noises were coming from an electronic game from what was a care package from a Williams College student's parents. Williams College Security found the student and determined what the package was.

The road was reopened shortly after 10 a.m.

North Berkshire Men Injured in Vermont Rollover

POWNAL, Vt. — A Williamstown, Mass., man may face charges of driving under the influence after a rollover accident early Sunday morning injured himself and a passenger.

Allen Whitney, 23, was operating a 2006 GMC Sierra on Route 346 in North Pownal, near the New York State line, at about 3:27 a.m. when the vehicle left the roadway and rolled over multiple times.

According to the report by State Trooper Justin Walker, "The truck was nearly unrecognizable as it had rolled approximately 500 feet after leaving the roadway."

Whitney was able to exit the pickup truck but his passenger, Brady Kuzia, 25, of Clarksburg, Mass., had to be extricated from the vehicle. Both men were transported to Southwest Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.

Walker said Whitney told him that they were driving home from Hoosick Falls, N.Y., at the time of the crash. The conditions were cold and clear and the road was wet.

Whitney, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered multiple lacerations to his body, face and head. Kuzia, who was wearing a seat belt, also had multiple lacerations an a possible fractured leg.

During the investigation, Walker suspected that Whitney was under the influence of alcohol and he was processed for suspicion of driving under the influence. Blood results are pending as well as other charges in this case. Investigation is ongoing, but the police report stated "speed was also clearly a factor in this crash."

Williamstown Crash Sends Three To Hospital

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Three people were taken to Berkshire Medical Center after crashing into a telephone pole on Cold Spring Road.

Police say a 1996 Honda Civic registered to a woman from Pittsfield crashed into the utility pole near Mezze's Bistro and Bar on Route 7 at about 11:44 a.m. Williamstown Police, Fire and Village Ambulance Service were all dispatched and the Jaws of Life was used to extricate the driver.

The driver and two passengers were transported to BMC in Pittsfield with non-life threatening injuries. Police said the accident is still under investigation but non-criminal charges are probable.

Police are not yet releasing the names of those involved but say none of them have life-threatening injuries.

The crash split a utlity pole and Cold Spring Road was closed to all traffic from the time of the crash until about 1:30 p.m. when one lane was reopened. National Grid and Verizon were called in to replace the pole.

Police Identify Victim in Fatal Williamstown Accident

PreviousNext

UPDATED: Friday, Dec. 27 at 1:56 p.m.

Arlene Campoli, 72, of Cole Avenue, Pittsfield, has been identified as the passenger killed in Thursday's accident.. Campoli was the passenger in a 2010 Hyundai Elantra driven by Jill Greene, 53, also of Pittsfield.

Greene is currently in "critical condition" at Berkshire Medical Center.

Police say Greene's vehicle crossed into the southbound lane and crashed into the 2009 Buick Lucerne driven by 73-year-old Helen Munzer of Brookline. Munzer and her passenger, John Munzer, also of Brookline, are both listed in stable condition at Berkshire Medical Center.

Police say road conditions "appear to be a principal contributing factor to the crash."

Both vehicles were removed from the scene by Dean's Quality Auto in North Adams.

A two-car accident has closed Route 7; police are warning of slippery roads.

Update 9:10 p.m.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A two-car accident Thursday morning killed one and sent three others to the hospital with serious injuries.

Police have not released the name of the woman passenger killed in the crash pending notification of family; they are also withholding the names of the three others currently at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.

A 2009 Buick and a 2010 Hyundai were heavily damaged in the crash that occurred about 10:21 a.m. on New Ashford Road about a mile south of the Store at Five Corners.

Each car had a driver and one passenger; firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate both occupants from one of the cars.

All four were taken to BMC and the female passenger of the Hyundai was transferred to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield where she died from injuries sustained in the crash, said Sgt. Scott McGowan.

It was snowing at the time of the crash and police warned of slick roads. New Ashford Road was closed from 10:21 a.m. until 4:45 p.m.

The investigation to determine the cause of the crash is under way by Williamstown and state police. Williamstown Police and Fire responded to the scene, along with Village Ambulance, North Adams Police and Ambulance Service, Lanesborough Police and state police and the State Police Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Section and Crime Scene Services Unit.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Local and state police were on the scene of a two-car accident on U.S. Route 7 about a mile south of the Five Corners on Thursday morning.

At 11:30, a Williamstown firefighter on the scene advised motorists queued up in the southbound lane that the road would be closed for at least two more hours.

Police at the scene reported that at least four occupants — two from each vehicle — were transported to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. No information was available about their injuries.

Both cars sustained heavy front-end damage.

North Adams police assisted at the scene by helping keep southbound motorists from proceeding through the Five Corners intersection of Routes 7 and 43.

Officials at the scene advised that roads are very slick and recommended people stay off the road ore use extreme caution.

The region was expected to get an inch or more of snow through the day. Snow has been falling since earlier in the morning.