Island law enforcement and EMS responded to several incidents over the weekend that involved more than one sleepy driver behind the wheel and one person airlifted for medical treatment for injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
Sgt. Michael Marchand of Oak Bluffs said police received a call at 1:41 a.m. Sunday about the motorcycle accident on Sea View avenue. The motorcycle rider, Eric Voshell of Oak Bluffs, was transported to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and later taken by ambulance to a mainland hospital with serious injuries, Sergeant Marchand said. A female passenger suffered minor injuries. The cause of the crash is under investigation, police said.
In West Tisbury, police chief Matthew Mincone said police responded to a single-car crash on Saturday afternoon. He said the driver, an 80-year-old woman, went off the road with her Toyota Rav4 and hit a tree. She was transported to the Island hospital with minor injuries. Chief Mincone said the cause of the accident is still under investigation, but the driver was reportedly sleepy. The accident happened as the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market was coming to a close and snarled traffic as the car was towed from the scene.
In Chilmark police chief Jonathan Klaren said police were called to the scene of a single car accident near the North Road fire station at 5:05 p.m. on Saturday after a 72-year-old West Tisbury man drove a 2003 Chevy Silverado off the road and hit a tree. Chief Klaren said the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. He had no visible injuries and refused medical treatment. The driver was cited for negligent operation of a motor vehicle and failure to stay in marked lanes.
Chief Randhi Belain of Aquinnah said there were no serious incidents in that town over the weekend but said he was pleased with the town’s annual public safety day that took place Saturday at the Circle. Emergency response vehicles were on display and a crowd of spectators got to watch a law enforcement use a jaws of life tool to remove the doors of a car in a simulated car accident.
Chief Bruce McNamee of Edgartown said it was a quiet weekend for his department. On Friday night police received a call about what appeared to be a dead seal on Pennywise Path and Mariners Way. The animal turned out to be a dead otter.
Edgartown police also cited two different individuals for urinating in public and towed a vehicle away from the council on aging.
In Tisbury Lieut. Eerik Meisner said there were no significant incidents over the weekend.
Meanwhile, on Friday Island police departments were well represented at the funeral of slain Weymouth police officer Michael Chesna.
“It was obviously pretty somber, sad,” said Chief Belain, who said he knows the Weymouth chief.
“We’re all mourning together,” said Chief Mincone. He said Sgt. Garrison Vieira of West Tisbury attended the service. “It’s just the camaraderie of our job,” he said.
Chief Klaren attended too. “It was an incredible display of law enforcement support,” he said.
Chief McNamee said the Edgartown honor guard including Det. Michael Snowden, Det. Dayce Moore, officer Zach Townes, and officer Jake Sylvia also attended. Sgt. Daniel Cassidy and detective James Morris of Oak Bluffs and officer Scott Ogden of Tisbury attended as well.
Chief McNamee played the bagpipes with the Boston Police.
“I’ve been to around 40 line of duty deaths for officers,” he said. “Unfortunately it seems all too frequent.”
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