Firefighters used ladders and a basket to rescue a man who was hurt when his car crashed and landed in the water off Western Avenue late Saturday night.
Rescuers found the man's Honda Accord about 50 to 60 feet off the road near the junction of Western Avenue and Route 133. The crash was reported at 11:19 p.m.
Because the tide was low at the time, only the nose of the car was in the water, according to the Fire Department report.
But firefighters still had to use two 24-foot ladders to reach the car. When they got to the wreck, they found the man in the driver's seat, suffering from "traumatic injuries." Firefighters put him in a basket and carried him one-quarter mile to the nearest set of stairs leading up to a waiting ambulance on Western Avenue.
The man was taken to Beverly Hospital for treatment.
Firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to search the area for any passengers who might have been thrown from the car, but none were found. The Coast Guard responded to help light up the area during the rescue efforts.
Tally's Towing was able to remove the car from the water.
Police refused to release any information about the crash, so the man's name and his condition were unavailable yesterday.
Crash
r A truck driver blamed a mechanical error for causing him to lose control of his truck Friday afternoon. The ensuing crash tied up traffic on Route 128 at the Grant Circle.
The truck had been towing a trailer holding a John Deere street sweeper. Firefighters said they found the street sweeper on its side in the middle of the highway when they responded to the 12:09 p.m. crash.
No injuries were reported. Traffic, however, was forced to merge into one lane while crews cleaned up the wreckage.
An unspecified mechanical error appeared to have caused the crash, according to the Fire Department.
Arrests
r Leo F. Burnham, 60, of 20 Madison Ave., Gloucester, was arrested on Washington Street at 10:56 p.m. Friday and charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol and failure to keep right.
r Sasha D. Bradstreet, 27, of 106 Pleasant St., Gloucester, was arrested on Shepherd Street at 2:27 p.m. Saturday and charged with domestic assault and battery.
r Jonathan M. Keyes, 19, of 219 Essex Ave., Gloucester, was arrested on Sumner Street at 1:49 a.m. Saturday and charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Fire record
r Patients were taken to the Addison Gilbert Hospital from Prospect Street and Eastern Avenue on Friday; from Old County Road, Lincoln Park and Smith, Main and Pleasant streets on Saturday; and from Hayward Road yesterday.
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