WESTFIELD—State police arrested one after a car chase ended with a three-car accident and a home being struck by a vehicle.
State police civilian spokesman Dave Procopio said police arrested Boyd Norman, 42, of Westfield, after he attempted to evade police along Routes 10 and 202, in the downtown area of the city just before 11 p.m. Thursday night. Police reported that Norman is facing multiple charges, including leaving the scene of property damage, malicious destruction of property over $250, resisting arrest and operating under the influence of alcohol.
The home of 3 Union Ave., where a vehicle struck late Thursday night (Photo by Dan Desrochers)
According to Procopio, a state police officer assigned to the Westfield State Police Barracks was traveling northbound on North Elm Street in Westfield, when the officer reportedly heard a “loud revving of an engine and exhaust noise,” and saw that a 2003 Subaru Forester was traveling in the opposite direction at a high rate of speed. The officer did not have a speed that the vehicle was traveling, but estimated that it was “well over the 35 mph speed limit.”
The officer reportedly turned around and attempted to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle continued down North Elm Street without stopping. The vehicle traveled past the North Elm Street and Pochassic Road intersection according to Procopio, and reportedly struck a stone wall under a set of train tracks and swerved in and out of traffic lanes but continued to evade police. It was at this point that police reportedly ceased pursuit with lights and sirens but continued to follow the vehicle.
Following this, the Forester reversed travel direction to go northbound on Route 202 according to police, and ran a red light. The vehicle reportedly continued traveling at a high rate of speed, striking a curb and avoiding striking two vehicles, before finally crashing into two other vehicles and then into a home at 3 Union Avenue.
The state trooper reported that upon arriving at the scene of the accident, a 38-year-old man from Wyndam, Connecticut, was lying on the ground facedown. Police reported that the man was not injured and he was a passenger of the Forester that was allegedly operated by Norman.
Procopio said that the same trooper then approached the Subaru Forester and saw Boyd without a seatbelt on in the driver’s seat. The officer reported that he allegedly smelled a strong odor of alcohol and the man in the car had reportedly answered questions unintelligibly.
Police reportedly instructed Boyd out of the vehicle and according to the report, he had trouble getting out of the vehicle and needed to be assisted. Boyd then reportedly laid on his stomach on the ground, and when the officer attempted to handcuff him police reported that he allegedly resisted the officer’s attempts. Police were able to handcuff Boyd, however.
The full list of charges for Boyd were as follows: Failure to stop for police, committing a marked lanes violation, leaving the scene of a crash that caused property damage, leaving a scene of a crash that caused personal injury, operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop or yield to traffic signals, speeding, resisting arrest, failure to wear seatbelt, malicious destruction of property over $250, no license and disorderly conduct, per Procopio.
Both vehicles that were struck were occupied by one person each. According to Westfield Police records, the two occupants from different vehicles—a 27-year-old man from Springfield and pregnant 26-year-old woman from Westfield—were transported to area hospitals. State police reported that the injuries were minor but no further update on their conditions were available.
State police are expected to continue to investigate the accident.
