Posted on 06/24/2003 9:07:20 PM PDT by jhw61
Police: Woman ran over officer
A trash hauling truck struck a utility pole on Route 18 in Weymouth early today, closing the main thoroughfare for the better part of the morning. The driver was not injured. (GREG DERR/The Patriot Ledger) By Patriot Ledger staff
WEYMOUTH - A 25-year-old woman has been charged with attempted murder, accused of hitting a police officer with her car at the scene of an accident that tied up Route 18 all morning.
Anna Gitlin, 25, of 21 Webster St., Weymouth, was due to be arraigned in Quincy District Court today.
Police Lt. George Greenwood said Gitlin approached lights on Main Street at around 9:30 a.m. while the street was still blocked to traffic.
He said she told officer Steven Shalno that she wanted to go through a Mobil gas station.
‘‘When the officer said that she cannot go down, she runs the police officer over,'' Greenwood said.
Shalno was taken to South Shore Hospital with leg and hip injuries, Greenwood said.
Traffic was snarled for eight hours after a trash truck smashed into a utility pole at 4:25 a.m., knocking electrical wires onto the pavement and closing a section of Route 18 for several hours.
Firefighters said 25 to 30 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from one of the truck's fuel tanks. The owner, Mass Hauling and Recycling, called in Clean Harbors to clean up the spill, firefighters said.
The truck driver, Edgiton Farauharson, 42, was taken to South Shore Hospital, police said. Farauharson's condition was unavailable, but his injuries did not appear serious.
Greenwood said he expects citations to be issued.
The empty trash compactor truck was going south when it struck the pole about 300 yards south of Middle Street.
The impact uprooted the pole, knocking National Grid Co. wires to the ground. A spokeswoman said none of the company's customers lost electricity.
Firefighters at the scene said they extinguished a small fire in the truck.
Police closed Route 18, also known as Main Street, between Middle Street and Route 3.
Route 18 traffic was diverted around the crash scene on Front Street.
The exit ramp leading from Route 3 south to Route 18 was closed.
Copyright 2003 The Patriot Ledger
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