From the region.

COLUMN: From the region

Ashby

Driver seriously hurt in one-vehicle accident

ASHBY - A 34-year-old Ashburnham man was seriously injured when his car struck a tree just before 2 yesterday morning in the area of Rindge and Mayo roads.

Fitchburg police reported the accident at 1:52 a.m., and responded along with Fitchburg fire and Ashby police and fire. Rescuers worked for almost an hour to free the injured driver of the Chevy Malibu, who was identified as David Pickard, 34, of Ashburnham, according to Sgt. Fred Alden.

Mr. Pickard was alone in the car when the crash occurred. He was transported by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus in Worcester because the Life Flight helicopter was not available, officials said.

State police assisted local police in accident reconstruction, and the accident remains under investigation. Ashby Police Officer Shawn McCluskey is the investigating officer. Rindge Road was closed to traffic for about four hours.

Gardner

Athol man charged with drug trafficking

GARDNER - An Athol man found with a baseball-sized package of drugs in his pants is facing charges of heroin and cocaine trafficking.

Brandon J. Fournier, 27, of 235 South Main St., Athol, has been charged with trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in heroin and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. He was arrested by the state police and the North Worcester County Drug Task Force after a confidential informant told police he was a major heroin dealer who dealt drugs throughout northern Worcester County.

Mr. Fournier was arrested June 29 after police found 66 grams of heroin and 30 grams of cocaine on him when he was stopped on Timpany Boulevard. Earlier, police said they observed him making a drug sale. He was arraigned in Gardner District Court July 2 and released on $1,000 bail to appear for a pretrial hearing Aug. 1.

Spencer

Firefighters from 4 towns quickly extinguish blaze

SPENCER - About 30 firefighters from four towns quickly extinguished a blaze that broke out in the bedroom of a home at 57 Grove St. at about 10:40 yesterday morning.

Fire Chief Robert P. Parsons said he and five firefighters had just left Northwest Road near the Oakham line, where they were draining a pool at an abandoned property, when they received the call for the fire. Normally, there would not have been that many firefighters available immediately.

"We were here very quickly," he said. "The crews did a great job getting up there and...