Kos also served as mayor from 1997-2004.

CHICOPEE - Richard J. Kos has taken out nomination papers to run for a third consecutive term as mayor.

Kos, 64, is the only person to have taken out nomination papers for mayor since they became available in early February. He must return them with 250 signatures of registered voters by Aug. 1 to be placed on the November ballot.

Kos initially served as mayor from 1997 to 2004 and then took a hiatus from politics until 2013, when he challenged incumbent Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette. After a bruising campaign he was elected mayor and then re-elected in 2015 in a rematch with Bissonnette.

Potential candidates have until July 28 to take out nomination papers, and the deadline to return them is Aug. 1. All candidates must collect signatures from 50 registered voters in the city or the ward where they plan to run, except for mayoral candidates, who have to have 250 signatures.

Several newcomers have taken out papers to run for City Council, including George Balakier, of Saratoga Avenue, who has been a member of the city's Democratic Committee for a number of years. Balakier, who lives in Ward 4, did not specifically say if he will run for the Ward 4 seat, but he will likely do so since long-time representative William Zaskey announced he will not run for re-election.

Also taking out papers for City Council are W. Kaween Fernando, who will run for an at-large seat, and Derek Dobosz. Dobosz, who lives in Ward 6, also did not declare if he would run at-large or in his ward.

There will likely be a race for the City Council Ward 1 seat. Joel McAuliffe, former communications director for Kos and now district director for state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, has had his nominations papers certified and will appear on the ballot. Dino Brunetti, who served in the seat for 10 years before being defeated in 2013, has also taken out nomination papers.

There could be a repeat of the Ward 5 City Council race since Miguel A. Roldan-Castro Jr. has taken out papers to challenge Frederick Krampits, the incumbent, who also plans to run. Roldan-Castro unsuccessfully challenged Krampits two years ago.

The remaining people who have taken out election papers are incumbents.

For City Council they are: Frank Laflamme, James Tillotson, Robert Zygarowski and Gerard (Jerry) Roy for at-large seats; Shane D. Brooks for Ward 2; City Council President John L. Vieau for Ward 3; William Courchesne for Ward 7; Gary Labrie for Ward 8; and Stanley Walczak for Ward 9.

All 10 incumbent School Committee members have taken out papers. They are: Chester Szetela, at-large; Dana Cutter, Ward 1; David Barsalou, Ward 2; Vice Chairwoman Marjorie Wojcik, Ward 3; Sandra Ann Peret, Ward 4; Deborah Styckiewicz, Ward 5; Susan Szetela Lopes, Ward 6; Donald Lamothe, Ward 7; Sharon Nawrocki, Ward 8; and Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello, Ward 9. The other at-large representative, Michael Pise, is in the middle of a four-year term and is not up for election.

Others who have taken out papers are incumbent assessors Laura McCarthy and Brian Suchy, Treasurer Marie Laflamme and Tax Collector Stanley Iwanicki.

The cost is $8 for adults, $6 for children and will include raffles and arts and crafts/

CHICOPEE - Chicopee High School students are holding a breakfast with the Easter Bunny to raise money to send the about 40 members of the soccer to England this summer.

The event will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., April 8 at the Knights of Columbus Council 69 on Granby Road. Children can have their pictures taken with the bunny and there will be Easter basket raffles, arts and more.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children.

Ian Osbourne had hit the 15-year-old many times before and had been arrested in Texas for assaulting her mother, the girl told police.

SPRINGFIELD - A West Springfield man has been jailed after allegedly beating his daughter with a shoe for staying too long at her robotics team meeting.

Ian Osbourne, 38, pleaded not guilty Friday in Springfield District Court to assault and battery on a child with injury and two related charges.

He was arrested Thursday after the girl showed up at Agawam High School with injuries to her face and hand. Questioned by school officials, she said her father had beaten her with his hands and a shoe the night before, according to the arrest report.

Osbourne was angry because he had to wait an hour before giving her a ride home from a robotics team meeting at the high school, the report said.

"He yelled at her all the way home, saying she was disrespectful,"
the 15-year-old told police.

At home, Osbourne slapped her in the face, breaking her glasses, and then came to her room, striking her in the arms, legs and face with the bottom of a shoe, the report said. At school the next day, the right side of her face was bruised and one of her hands was swollen from fending off the blows, the report said.

Osbourne had hit her many times before and had been arrested in Texas for assaulting her mother, the girl told police.

Later in the day, the Department of Children and Families, which had previous dealings with the family, removed the girl and her two younger siblings from the home, the report said. Osbourne was arrested and held overnight for a court appearance Friday.

Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski asked for $10,000 bail, citing the new charges and Osbourne's criminal history. For the past 30 months, he has been in default in a drug case in Newburyport District Court and has convictions on his record, the prosecutor said.

She asked Judge John Payne to revoke his bail in the drug case, effectively jailing him for 90 days.

Defense lawyer Peter Lane asked for $1,000 bail, and urged the judge not to jail his client on the bail violation.

Osbourne contests much of the girl's account, Lane said, before adding that parents in Massachusetts are allowed to use corporal punishment.

All three siblings have been placed with their grandparents, according to Lane, who said his client would comply with any court order to stay away from them.

"$10,000 bail is excessive," Lane said.

Payne set bail at $2,500 on the new charges and revoked Osbourne's bail in the Newburyport drug case. Under the ruling, he will be held without right to bail for the next 90 days.

Osbourne is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on the new charges on May 5.

Narcotics Unit officers arrested Darius Parker, a known gang member formerly from Springfield, and his girlfriend Tyana Cruz at around 10 a.m. Friday.

SPRINGFIELD - Two alleged gun runners from Georgia were arrested in Springfield on Friday while trying to sell handguns to local gang members, according to Springfield police.

Narcotics officers arrested Darius Parker, a known gang member formerly of Springfield, and his girlfriend Tyana Cruz at around 10 a.m. Friday.

"It was determined that Parker was staying with a relative on Garvey Drive (in the Sixteen Acres neighborhood) and was driving a Nissan Murano with Georgia plates," said Sgt. John Delaney in a Facebook post announcing the arrests.

Detectives tailed the car to the area of Bartlett Street in Liberty Heights, where they asked two uniformed officers to conduct a felony stop. Police say they found two fully loaded Ruger firearms and ammunition in the vehicle.

Parker, 27, of Lithonia, Georgia, and Cruz, 25, of Decatur, Georgia, are each charged with two counts of carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a high capacity firearm, illegal possession of ammunition and receiving a stolen firearm. One of the guns in the car was reported stolen from Atlanta, Georgia, in 2000.

"Excellent arrest by the Narcotics Division getting these two individuals off the street and stopping guns from filtering into our city," said Delaney. He also credited Officers Eddie Sierra and Derrick Slattery for their work.

Parker and Cruz will be held over the weekend pending arraignment Monday in Springfield District Court.

Harold Curet Sr., 57, and Harold Curet Jr., 38, were arrested Friday morning without incident, according to Boston police.

BOSTON - A father and son are charged with distributing drugs in Roslindale after police raided their Fawndale Road home and found "large amounts" of narcotics and a loaded gun.

Harold Curet Sr., 57, and Harold Curet Jr., 38, were arrested Friday morning without incident, according to Boston police.

Police executed a search warrant at 158 Fawndale Road at around 10 a.m. Officers recovered "large amounts of various Class E Drugs, seven medium bags of marijuana, a small amount of heroin," a loaded revolver, 95 rounds of ammunition and $369 in cash, police said.

Class E drugs include codeine, morphine and opium. Police did not immediately specify which of these substances were found.

The elder Curet is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, four counts of possession with intent to distribute Class E drugs, possession of heroin and being an armed career criminal.

Curet Jr. is charged with unlawful possession of ammunition and possession with intent to distribute Class D drugs.

Marijuana is a Class D substance.

Both suspects will be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court.

A 36-year-old woman became trapped under her Chevrolet Captiva and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Saugus police.

SAUGUS - Police are investigating "a fatal automobile incident" that left a woman trapped under her own car in a gas station parking lot.

Officers responded to the Sunoco station at 700 Broadway, Route 1, shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday.

A 36-year-old woman somehow became trapped under her Chevrolet Captiva and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Investigators are trying to determine the circumstances of her death. The Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section is assisting.

The victim's name is being withheld at this time.

North Reading police said they recovered 22 small plastic bags filled with a powdery substance, which was found to be 14 grams of the dangerous synthetic opioid.

NORTH READING - A 21-year-old man from Lawrence is charged with trafficking in fentanyl, the synthetic opioid responsible for a surge in overdose deaths across Massachusetts, after he ran away from a traffic stop.

On March 29, Michael Pina was pulled over in North Reading for running a red light at the intersection of Main Street and Lowell Road. Pina fled and was soon picked up by another man driving a minivan.

North Reading police notified other law enforcement agencies, and he was soon arrested in Lawrence by Massachusetts State Police.

In a news release, North Reading police said they recovered 22 small plastic bags filled with a powdery substance, which was found to be 14 grams of fentanyl.

Pina is charged with trafficking in a Class A substance, failure to stop for police, giving a false name and address to a police officer, failure to stop for a red light and driving with a suspended license as a subsequent offense.

He was arraigned Thursday in Woburn District Court.

"Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous substance that has made the nationwide opioid epidemic even worse," said North Reading Police Chief Michael Murphy. "Thankfully, multiple police departments worked together to quickly locate an alleged drug trafficker and remove a quantity of drugs from circulation."

The Wakefield and Wilimington police departments also assisted with the arrest.

Touting the power of civic engagement in wake of the 2016 election cycle, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, highlighted ways Berkshire County residents can make their voices heard and affect change at a Pittsfield forum Saturday.

PITTSFIELD -- Touting the power of civic engagement in wake of the 2016 election cycle, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, highlighted ways Berkshire County residents can make their voices heard and affect change at a Pittsfield forum Saturday.

The congressman, who kicked off a series of morning civic participation workshops at Berkshire Community College, encouraged attendees to speak out on issues they find important, but cautioned them against failing to acknowledge opponents' concerns -- something which he argued could exacerbate the current division in American politics.

Pointing to lessons he learned from organizing George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign in Western Massachusetts and his time on Capitol Hill, Neal argued that Democrats must appeal beyond their base and do more to win back support in historically red states.

The congressman noted that while the U.S. House was comprised of Democrats from across the country when he entered congress, now one-third of House Democrats hail from Massachusetts, New York and California.

"I've been forthwith aggressively arguing time and again that the path to 218 has to include some of them again" he said. "You are not going to win anymore seats in Massachusetts."

Neal further stressed that Democrats must listen to and acknowledge opponents' concerns before presenting them with fact-based data, if they want to broaden the party's base.

"If you grew up in the 60s you're for free speech, the right to hear things that you don't want to hear. And if you grew up in the 1960s we weren't seeking safe spaces: We thought everything should be put under the magnifying glass of critical analysis," he said. 

US Rep. Richard Neal touts efforts to preserve Obamacare, urges Democrats to reach out to opponents

Contending that Democrats are united, the congressman also encouraged Democratic attendees to focus on wooing divided Republicans and independents, who are unsure of whom to believe, by presenting them with facts "in a pleasant way."

"I don't think that when we find ourselves in disagreement with somebody, if we out-shout them, then we're right," he said. "You challenge them based on what they've said and you take apart the arguments based on what they've said."

Becky Meier, who organized the BCC and Four Freedoms Coalition-sponsored workshops, said the event came in response to Berkshire County residents' efforts to become more politically engaged in the wake of the 2016 election.

"I think it's wonderful that people are taking their citizenship responsibilities seriously, but a lot of people don't have the tools and the skills and the knowledge to know what to do ... So we designed a series of workshops that will give people the tools to become civically engaged," she said in an interview.

Sessions included in the daylong workshop event focused on how to run for office, write a letter to the editor, contact legislators and to have conversations across the political aisle. 

97 1.3k shares FDR's grandson, Ed Markey call for action against efforts to undermine '4 freedoms' at Pittsfield rally

State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, and State Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, also attended the event.

Tyngsborough police are searching for two suspects who stole drugs from a Middlesex Road pharmacy early Saturday morning.

TYNGSBOROUGH - Police are searching for two suspects who stole drugs from the Tyngsborough Family Pharmacy early Saturday morning, then fled across the New Hampshire state line.

Just before 6 a.m., a 911 caller reported a break-in at the pharmacy on Middlesex Road. The caller said the suspects fled in a gray pickup truck with a yellow strobe light on the roof.

An officer spotted the vehicle, occupied by two males, and tried to pull it over. The driver fled, leading to a pursuit onto Westford Road and then Route 3.

Police ended the pursuit at the New Hampshire state line "due to concerns for public safety," Tyngsborough police in a news release.

The vehicle is described as a gray Dodge Ram pickup truck with chrome wheel rims, a yellow strobe light on the roof and Florida license plates containing the letters D and X.

Police believe the break-in may be related to a similar but unspecified incident "that occurred recently in a nearby community."

Anyone with information about the crime or the suspect's vehicle should immediately call Tyngsborough Police at 978-649-7504. Ask for Detective Sergeant Cynthia Shay or Detective Peter Kullusich, or press "9" to leave an anonymous tip.

The first-degree arson charge was added to a first-degree criminal damage to property charge Basil Eleby already faced in connection with the fire Thursday evening that caused a heavily traveled overpass to disintegrate. Total bond was set at $200,000.

ATLANTA  -- A man accused of starting a raging fire that collapsed a portion of Interstate 85 a few miles north of downtown Atlanta was charged with arson Saturday.

The first-degree arson charge was added to a first-degree criminal damage to property charge Basil Eleby already faced in connection with the fire Thursday evening that caused a heavily traveled overpass to disintegrate. Total bond was set at $200,000.

Eleby's next court appearance was set for April 14.

Online jail records show that Eleby has been arrested more than a dozen times since 1995, mostly on drug charges.

Deputy Insurance Commissioner Jay Florence said Eleby was arrested Friday along with Sophia Bruner and Barry Thomas. Bruner and Thomas were charged with criminal trespass.

"We believe they were together when the fire was set and Eleby is the one who set the fire," Florence said.

Florence would not discuss how the fire was started or why, saying those details would be released as the investigation progresses.

The fire broke out Thursday afternoon in an area used to store state-owned construction materials and equipment, sending flames and smoke high into the air and crippling a major traffic artery in a city known for dreadful rush-hour congestion.

Dozens of firefighters battling the roaring blaze beneath the roadway moved safely out of harm's way amid telltale signs the roadway was breaking apart from the intense heat.

"They heard the cracking of the concrete," Atlanta Fire Chief Joel Baker said. "They could see concrete was flying all over the place toward firefighters."

Firefighters shut down the roadway before it fell and retreated safely without injury.

Experts in structural engineering said fires on highways and bridges rarely burn long enough or hot enough to cause a complete collapse -- but it has happened. Intense heat can compromise even steel-reinforced concrete, said Lauren Stewart, director of the Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

"With fires, especially fires that burn for long periods and with high heat, you can see structures, anything from buildings to bridges, can have their material properties degrade," Stewart said.

It's happened before. In 1996, a fire in a big pile of tires beneath I-95 in Philadelphia left a span too weak to handle cars, forcing authorities to shut down 4 miles of the busy East Coast route for repairs.

Andy Herrmann, a retired partner with the New York-based engineering firm Hardesty & Hanover, said there have also been a few instances of gasoline trucks crashing and causing intense heat that damaged overpasses.

Herrmann said concrete will undergo severe cracking at about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit and start disintegrating at higher temperatures. Building roads to withstand such heat would be prohibitively expensive, he said.

"We have limited dollars for maintaining our bridges," Herrmann said. "This is such a rare thing to occur."

The highway collapse in Atlanta forced commuters Friday to find different routes to work or to use mass transit. Things won't be back to normal for months, said Russell McMurry, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation.

McMurry told a news conference Friday that 350 feet of highway will need to be replaced in both directions on I-85, which carries about 400,000 cars a day through Atlanta and is one of the South's most important north-south routes. He said repairs will take "at least several months."

Traffic was bumper to bumper Friday on streets near the closed stretch of highway. Amelia Ford picked a new route to drive to work and said it took her 45 minutes to travel 3 miles from her Atlanta home to the nearest open on-ramp to the interstate.

McMurry said his department stored coils of plastic conduit, used in fiber optic networks, beneath the span but insisted they were noncombustible.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao promptly released $10 million for the initial repair work, and the Federal Highway Administration promised more in emergency repair funds. Officials gave no estimate of how much the job would cost.

Built in 1953 and renovated in 1985, the collapsed span scored a sufficiency rating of 94.6 out of 100 in its last inspection in 2015, said Natalie Dale, a spokeswoman for the Georgia DOT.

 

With the White House turning its attention to tax system overhauls, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said he will push President Donald Trump's administration to ensure that any such changes benefit all Americans -- not just those at the top.

With the White House turning its attention to tax system overhauls, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said he will push President Donald Trump's administration to ensure that any such changes benefit all Americans -- not just those at the top.

Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, remained firm Saturday in his opposition to cuts that disproportionately benefit wealthy Americans, contending the tax system should improve the quality of life for all.

The congressman said he plans to make that argument to Vice President Mike Pence, whom he is tentatively set to meet with on Monday, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who is expected to sit down with panel Democrats on Wednesday.

Although the Springfield Democrat said there is widespread support for overhauling the tax system, he argued that varying opinions on what those changes should entail creates challenges.

"We're going to move now toward a discussion on tax reform, which is going to be very, very difficult," he said in an interview. "Everybody agrees on what's wrong with the tax system, that's kind of where the agreement ends. In trying to repair it, that's where there's disagreements."

Neal added that House Republicans' failure to come to consensus on health system changes also does not bode well for success on tax overhauls.

Massachusetts Democrats, health care leaders tout canceled vote on Obamacare replacement plan

"One of the interesting parts of the Affordable Care Act (debate) was on Thursday of last week when they had 30 votes on the Republican side against (House Speaker Paul) Ryan's plan. Then they explained it, they had 50 against it. And it's of note that the chairman of the Appropriations Committee - a Republican - when he says he's against it, you know how hard that is it for committee chairman of a majority party to be against what the president of their own party is saying?" he said. "I think that portends what could be difficult going forward on tax reform."

Ryan, however, said he's optimistic about the House's chances to modify the tax system in a recent CBS interview. 

"I'm still confident we're going to get tax reform, because we, Republicans, this is in our DNA. Cleaning up the IRS, cleaning up the tax code, making America more competitive, getting jobs and manufacturing restored to America, restoring tax rates to make us more competitive: that's something we all agree on," he said. "We don't have a schism whatsoever in our party on that." 

Neal further said he hopes to avoid reverting to tax policies like those seen under former President George W. Bush, which he argued left middle-class Americans with "virtually nothing."

US Reps. Richard Neal, Jim McGovern brace for fight with President-elect Donald Trump, GOP Congress

"I think the most important thing is a tax system that improves the quality of life for all members of the Americans people," he said. "And that reality will play out when you see their proposal on distribution tables: who gets what."

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Thursday that the administration was beginning work on tax policy changes and "weighing the best option to develop a plan that will provide significant middle-class tax relief and make American businesses more competitive."

"The president is committed to delivering results that the American people and American businesses will be able to see and feel in their paychecks," he added.

Trump, throughout his White House run, called for revisions to the individual and corporate tax codes, including: collapsing the current seven individual income tax brackets to three; increasing the standard deduction for joint filers from $12,600 to $30,000; lowering the business tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent; and eliminating the corporate alternative minimum tax.

Joshua Brown, 18, pleaded not guilty in Northampton District Court Friday to charges of assault and battery and intimidating a witness.

EASTHAMPTON -- Three Easthampton High School students were arrested Thursday night following an altercation in the school's parking lot on Wednesday afternoon.

Joshua Brown, 18, pleaded not guilty in Northampton District Court Friday to charges of assault and battery and intimidating a witness, reports the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Brown was released on conditions that he stay away from the victim. Two juveniles were also reportedly arrested. 

The alleged victim, who is white, reportedly posted a racist statement online before he was was confronted Wednesday by a group of students who are racial minorities. He had sent a former girlfriend a message on Snapchat asking if she was "still dating that n-," according to a police report viewed by the Gazette. 

Police say they examined video and that the student was punched by the three other students. The victim was taken to the doctor by a parent and diagnosed with a concussion, according to the report. 

The arrests came hours after hundreds of students staged a walkout Thursday and marched to the Municipal Building on Payson Avenue. Some students said they were unhappy with the way the School Department handles racist incidents.

City and school officials subsequently met with students at an all-school assembly, and issued statements saying neither racism nor violence are acceptable.

What appears to be cellphone video of the incident was posted online by Turtleboy Sports, a blog devoted to criticizing "social justice warriors."

An avalanche of water from three overflowing rivers swept through a small city in Colombia while people slept, destroying homes, sweeping away cars and killing at least 154 unsuspecting residents.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- An avalanche of water from three overflowing rivers swept through a small city in Colombia while people slept, destroying homes, sweeping away cars and killing at least 154 unsuspecting residents.

The incident triggered by intense rains happened around midnight in Mocoa, a provincial capital of about 40,000 tucked between mountains near Colombia's southern border with Ecuador.

Muddy water and debris quickly surged through the city's streets, toppling homes, ripping trees from their roots and carrying them downstream. Many of the residents did not have enough time to climb on top of their roofs or seek refuge on higher ground.

According to the Red Cross, 400 people were injured and 220 believed missing. President Juan Manuel Santos declared a state of emergency on Saturday and said the death toll will likely rise but warned against speculating how many people are dead.

Soldiers and rescue workers evacuate residents from the area in Mocoa, Colombia, Saturday, April 1, 2017, after an avalanche of water from an overflowing river swept through the city as people slept. (Colombian Army Photo via AP)

Eduardo Vargas, 29, was asleep with his wife and 7-month-old baby when he was awoken by the sound of neighbors banging on his door. He quickly grabbed his family and fled up a small mountain amid the cries of people in panic.

"There was no time for anything," he said.

Vargas and his family huddled with about two dozen other residents as rocks, trees and wooden planks ripped through their neighborhood below. They waited there until daylight, when members of the military helped them down.

When he reached the site of his home Saturday, he found nothing but rocks and mud.

"Thank God we have our lives," he said.

This handout photo released by the Colombia Presidential Press Office, shows an aerial view of a portion of Mocoa, Colombia, Saturday, April 1, 2017, after an avalanche of water from an overflowing river swept through the city as people slept. (Cesar Carrion/Colombian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Oscar Londono tried in vain throughout the night to reach his wife's parents, whose home is right along one of the flooded rivers. He decided it was too dangerous to try to reach them in the dark. So he called over and over by phone but got no answer.

Once the sun began to rise he started walking toward their house but found all the streets he usually takes missing. As he tried to orient himself he came across the body of a young woman dressed in a mini-skirt and black blouse.

He checked her pulse but could not find one.

"There were bodies all over," he said.

When he finally reached the neighborhood where his in-laws live he found "just mud and rocks." Rescue workers with the military oriented him toward the mountain, where he found his relatives camped with other survivors.

"To know they were alive," he said, "it was a reunion of tears."

In this handout photo released by the Colombian National Army, soldiers carry a victim on a stretcher, in Mocoa, Colombia, Saturday, April 1, 2017, after an avalanche of water from an overflowing river swept through the city as people slept. (Colombian Army Photo via AP)

Some of the hospital workers came to help even while there are own relatives remained missing.

"Under the mud," Granados said, "I am sure there are many more."

The Red Cross planned to set up a special unit in Mocoa Saturday afternoon to help relatives search for their loved ones.

"In this moment, it's chaos," said Oscar Forero, a spokesman with the Colombian Red Cross. "There are many people missing."

Santos blamed climate change for triggering the avalanche, saying that the accumulated rainfall in one night was almost half the amount Mocoa normally receives in the entire month of March. With the rainy season in much of Colombia just beginning, he said local and national authorities need to redouble their efforts to prevent a similar tragedy.

A woman who was being carjacked Saturday night sprayed gasoline on the suspect before the man drove off while dragging the woman. Watch video

A woman who was being carjacked Saturday night sprayed gasoline on the suspect before the man drove off while dragging the woman.

Video released by the Tewksbury Police Department shows a woman pumping gas at the Circle K around 7:25 p.m. Saturday. A man then gets into her Mazda, the video shows.

The woman tries to pull the suspect out of the vehicle and eventually sprays him with gasoline. Police said the suspect drove off while dragging the woman. She was not seriously injured however.

The vehicle was recovered, but police are still searching for the suspect.

WANTED: Help us ID this male suspect from the carjacking this evening in #Tewksbury. Do you know him? Please share. (2/2) TPD30 pic.twitter.com/AHeq12vcr4

— Tewksbury Police (@TewksburyPD) April 2, 2017

One woman was killed in the accident.

SPRINGFIELD - Police are on the scene of a fatal accident that left one woman dead.

Police are unsure when the accident happened. At about 9:10 a.m. Sunday a man phoned police to report he saw a car in the woods off Worcester Street in Indian Orchard, Police Capt. Cheryl Clapprood said.

Police responding to the call found the car far into the woods and shortly afterward found a woman who had been ejected from the car during the crash. She had died from her injuries, Clapprood said.

Five police officers, including two from the traffic bureau, are on the scene investigating the crash, Clapprood said.

"It would not have been something a patrol officer would have seen," she said.

The identity of the victim is not expected to be released for some time since police are in the early stages of the investigation and have not notified her family yet, she said.

The accident happened at the intersection of North Branch Parkway and Fox Road

SPRINGFIELD - Firefighters extricated a female driver from her vehicle following a two-car accident Sunday morning.

The accident happened at about 8:53 a.m. at 315 North Branch Parkway near the intersection of North Branch Parkway and Fox Road, said Dennis Leger, assistant to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

The woman was trapped in a Ford Explorer after the vehicle collided with a Jeep Commander, he said.

Police are on the scene and there is no immediate information about injuries to the people in either car, Capt. Cheryl Clapprood said.

Connecticut State Police continue to investigate the accident and separate charges are pending.

GROTON, Ct. - Police are continuing to investigate a fatal accident that happened when a Massachusetts resident crashed into another car while being pursued by Connecticut State troopers.

Valery Laboissiere, 27, of Medford, was not injured in the accident. After the crash, he was arrested and charged with first degree larceny of a motor vehicle, 6^th degree larceny of a gun, reckless driving, engaging in pursuit, disobeying the signal of an officer, and operating without a license, Connecticut State Police said.

"The State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Squad assumed the crash investigation. Separate charges from the crash are pending," Police said.

The crash happened at about 10:15 p.m. Thursday after a trooper spotted Laboissiere allegedly driving a Chevrolet Silverado, later determined to be stolen from Vermont, 97 miles an hour on Interstate-95 north. The speed limit on that road is 55 miles an hour, police said.

Troopers attempted to stop the truck, but the driver sped away and then left the highway at Exit 86. The driver then allegedly ran a red light at the intersection of Route 184 and King Highway and struck a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse.

The passenger of the car was seriously injured and rushed to the hospital by helicopter but later died. The driver received minor injuries and was brought to the hospital by ambulance, police said.

The victim was later identified as Deion A. Pittman, 22, of Waterford, according to the Hartford Courant.

After State Police troopers arrested Laboissiere, they learned the truck had been  reported stolen from Vermont on Wednesday. Officers also found a small caliber rifle, also reported stolen from Vermont, in the truck.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash, the vehicles prior to the crash or anyone who has any information regarding this crash is asked to contact Trooper Donald Comstock at 203-630-8060 or Donald.comstock@ct.gov.

The driver fell asleep at the wheel before the crash.

LONGMEADOW - A car struck a curb, a utility pole and then rolled over onto its side in an early morning accident Sunday.

The driver was wearing a seat belt and was not seriously injured, Longmeadow Police said.

The accident happened at about 1 a.m. near the intersection of Converse Street and Burns Meadows. No one else was involved in the crash, police said.

An investigation showed the driver fell asleep at the wheel, police said.

"We want to remind you of the dangers of driving while tired. The effects can be very similar to driving while under the influence," police said on the department Facebook Page.

A 2-year-old boy was rescued from a partially submerged car in Chelsea Sunday morning after the vehicle became trapped on a street known for flooding. Watch video

A 2-year-old boy was rescued from a partially submerged car in Chelsea Sunday morning after the vehicle became trapped on a street known for flooding.

The Chelsea Fire Department received a call around 9 a.m. for a report of a vehicle stuck in water on Vale Street. A woman and man were inside the car with the 2-year-old boy, Deputy Fire Chief John Quatieri said.

Water was just under the car windows. The woman was able to get out and the man was freed with some help. The man had a previous knee injury. Firefighter Bryan Bermudez put on a water rescue suit, waded through the water and carried the boy to safety.

Quatieri said the car was in about three feet of water. Vale Street is known for flooding, he said.

"It has a history of flooding during heavy rain," Quatieri said.

Orlando Perez, 24, of Springfield, was allegedly in possession of a Smith and Wesson handgun without a permit.

SPRINGFIELD - Just three minutes after the city's audio ShotSpotter detected gunshots and a witness simultaneously reported seeing a man in a red hooded sweatshirt firing a gun, police had a suspect handcuffed and an unlawful gun confiscated.

Orlando Perez, 25, of Springfield, was arrested shortly after 11:30 a.m. Sunday and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and on a variety of firearms charges including possession of a gun without a permit. He was also arrested on several warrants, Springfield Police Capt. Cheryl Clapprood said.

The Police Department's ShotSpotter first detected four gunshots near 121 Tyler St. Shortly after a caller reported having seen a man shooting a gun in the air on the next street over near the intersection of Pendleton Avenue and Walnut St., she said.

Four police units were dispatched and police quickly spotted a man matching the description and stopped him, Clapprood said.

Perez was searched and police allegedly found a Smith and Wesson handgun and 50 bags of crack cocaine in his possession and arrested him, Clapprood said.

He is currently being held at the Springfield Police Station and is expected to be arraigned Monday in Springfield District Court.