Lightning and rain keep local departments busy
Published on August 6th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - The Sunday thunder and lightning storms did more than wash away weekend plans for local residents, as a quick-moving and volatile weather front kept Stoneham public safety officials hopping during a two hour period of heavy rain and lightning.
According to Stoneham Fire Chief Lawrence Lamey, the Stoneham Fire Department responded to 17 emergency calls during a busy and soggy Sunday afternoon.
The unpredictable elements resulted in a lightning bolt damaging the chimney and roof of a Valley Road residence, and a 40 car pile-up on both sides of Interstate 93 that led to the hospitalization of fourteen people.
“It happens a couple of times a year,” said Lamey of the lightning striking homes. “You never know because it’s so unpredictable.”
Fire Department crews responded to 36 Valley Road at 2:50 p.m. after the house had allegedly been struck by a bolt of lightning. Stoneham Fire Captain Ed Regan led Company 1 along with Engine Company 5 in bringing along Engine 1 and Ladder 1 to the scene.
“Lightning struck the chimney,” said Regan. “It cracked the chimney and sent some of the pieces to the ground and damaged the roof. A large section was teetering and we were fearful that a strong wind would send it crashing to the roof.”
With the help of a neighbor who worked as a mason, Regan and a crew of firefighters including Paul McIntyre, Shawn Fitzgerald and Paul Doherty dismantled the crumbling chimney.
“We assisted in removing and chopping it down to where we thought it wouldn’t fall through the roof,” said Regan, who added that no one was hurt and homeowner, Tom Barry, was the only person still at the property.
According to Regan, there was damage to some shingles and a small area of the roof had been punctured by chimney debris.
Fire Department officials quickly crafted a makeshift patch for the hole, and then quickly reported to a congested accident scene on I-93. Within ten minutes, 40 cars were involved in two separate accidents on both the northerly and southerly sides of I-93. A total of 14 people were transported to three hospitals as a result of the coinciding chain of accidents, according to State Police spokesman Sgt. David Payne.
According to Payne, the vehicular imbroglio began around 3:15 p.m. matching the climax of the rainstorm.
“We first got reports of a multi-vehicle crash on 93 northbound just south of Rte. 128 in Stoneham,” said Payne. “What they think is that a severe weather front came in suddenly, dropping heavy rain in the area...they believe weather was a factor in the initial crash.”
According to Payne, five people were injured in the original 30 car crash, and were taken to local hospitals, including Winchester Hospital, Lahey Clinic and Mass General Hospital, with non-life threatening injuries.
“They were mostly neck and back-type injuries,” said Payne.
Some five minutes later, according to Payne, there was a 10 car pile-up at the Montvale Ave. exit area of I-93 in Stoneham.
“The preliminary investigation found that some of the motorists may not have been paying attention to the roadway as they passed the earlier thirty car crash,” said Payne. “They may have been looking over, and basically that’s what caused the ten car pile-up on the southbound side.”
Nine individuals were injured in the 10 car crash with mostly “neck and back injuries”, and also transported to the same area hospitals.
According to Payne, both highways had been shut down to one lane at certain points during the clean-up, and that, at its high point, there was a two mile back-up on traffic northbound and southbound on I-93.
“It was flowing, but very slowly,” said Payne, who added that at 4:45 p.m. both sides of I-93 were “clear and free and starting flowing normally again."
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