ANDOVER, MA — Andover police and firefighters were kept busy from Friday through Sunday with a string of unrelated calls that included three-vehicle crashes, a vehicle fire, a missing-person search, a locked-in toddler rescue and several medical responses.
Radio transmissions from Oct. 16 through Oct. 18 also showed crews dealing with a diesel spill at a Raytheon facility, complaints about juveniles downtown and calls involving a football game, Interstate 93 and a reported domestic assault. Several of the incidents were resolved quickly, while others brought in additional agencies and hospital transports.
In many cases, responders said the initial information was incomplete when they arrived. The details available over the radio often changed as crews confirmed what had happened, who needed help and whether more resources were required.
Diesel spill, vehicle fire and downtown complaints occupied firefighters on Friday
The weekend started with a reported diesel spill at Raytheon’s Lowell Street facility around 12:39 p.m. Friday. Firefighters said about one gallon had spilled near a cafeteria loading dock at 350 Lowell St., and later radio traffic indicated that roughly half a gallon had reached a storm drain.
Crews said they did not know where the drain led. The Andover Health Department was notified, and dispatch confirmed the department had already been contacted before firefighters cleared the scene. The radio transmissions did not establish what caused the spill, whether any fuel was recovered or whether cleanup was needed.
Later that afternoon, firefighters responded to a vehicle fire on Charlotte Drive after a resident reported a burning car in a driveway. The caller believed the fire was mostly out before crews arrived. Engine 2 confirmed the blaze was extinguished and performed overhaul work to check for remaining hazards.
Police spoke with coaches after complaints about juveniles near downtown businesses
Also on Friday, police were called after complaints that a group of 12 to 15 juveniles was causing problems near Stevens Street and Railroad Street. Dispatch said the youths were banging on business windows and doors near the downtown post office.
A caller also reported that some of the group had been disrupting a nearby spa for about an hour and a half, including entering the business and causing disturbances. An officer located some of the youths and learned that at least one was linked to a high school sports team.
The officer went to Andover High School and spoke with coaches, who in turn addressed the students. By 4:38 p.m., police reported that the coaches had spoken with the group and that no further problems were expected. Officers told the business owner to call again if the disruptions continued.
Football game, domestic call and a highway medical emergency brought more Friday and Sunday responses
Friday night, emergency crews were sent to the Andover High School football field after a report of an intoxicated person near the snack shack. An ambulance evaluated the individual and later transported one patient to Lawrence General Hospital at about 9:53 p.m.
Radio traffic did not establish the person’s age, whether alcohol was involved or whether police took any action. That uncertainty was common across several weekend calls, where dispatch updates focused on immediate safety rather than final findings.
On Sunday afternoon, police responded to a residence after a woman reported that a man was choking her. Officers found that the two had separated before police arrived, and the woman was outside the home. Police requested an ambulance to evaluate the man, who was later taken to Lawrence General Hospital.
That evening, responders were called to Interstate 93 after a woman said her husband had become severely confused while they were driving from New Hampshire toward Lynn. Paramedics located the white Honda Civic in the breakdown lane near the Interstate 495 interchange and treated the 22-year-old man, who was later transported with advanced life support personnel aboard.
Saturday morning crash on North Main Street sent at least two people to the hospital
A three-vehicle crash on North Main Street near Balmoral Street brought a major emergency response early Saturday. The collision was reported around 6:34 a.m., and early reports said multiple people were injured and at least one person might be trapped in a vehicle.
Firefighters, ambulances and paramedics were sent to the scene. By about 6:40 a.m., crews reported that everyone had been removed from the vehicles without mechanical extrication. Three ambulances responded, and radio traffic indicated that at least two patients were transported to Lawrence General Hospital.
Police handled towing and traffic control while emergency crews worked at the scene. The roadway reopened at about 7:34 a.m. Officials did not say what caused the crash or how serious the injuries were.
Multiagency search for missing woman ended in North Reading after nearly two hours
Saturday evening, Andover police launched a wider search after receiving a report of a missing woman who might have been in danger. The effort began at about 7:17 p.m. in South Andover and spread into North Reading as officers checked roads and wooded areas.
Massachusetts State Police and nearby departments joined the search. Police requested K-9 teams and drone resources, and investigators also used cellphone location information to narrow the search area. A command post was set up at Hillview Country Club in North Reading.
At about 9:06 p.m., police said State Police and North Reading officers had found the woman at China Cuisine in North Reading. Officers confirmed her identity, and North Reading firefighters took her to Winchester Hospital for evaluation. The search lasted nearly two hours and involved multiple agencies.
Locked car rescue, Beacon Street crash and a café welfare check closed out the weekend
Saturday afternoon, firefighters rescued a 2-year-old child who had been accidentally locked inside a vehicle on Germano Way. The child’s father called for help at about 3:41 p.m., and dispatch said the keys were inside the car and the engine was off.
Andover Fire Rescue sent an engine and ladder truck. Crews worked to get into the vehicle and freed the toddler by 4:09 p.m., then reunited the child with the parents. No injuries were reported over the radio.
Late Sunday night, responders handled another three-vehicle crash, this time on Beacon Street near Chandler Road. One vehicle was reported smoking, and an arriving responder said a car had struck a tree. One person was taken to a hospital.
Earlier that evening, police also checked on an elderly regular customer after staff at Caffè Nero on Main Street became concerned. Officers found the man and determined he was simply out later than usual and heading home.