Community Corner

UPDATED: Milford Police Officer, Driver, Released from Hospital

The officer and a woman driving a Honda Accord both were injured and were taken to the hospital.

UPDATED: A Milford Police officer and a motorist both were released from Milford Regional Medical Center Wednesday, following a collision this morning at Green Street and Route 140.

Officer David Villani, 49, sustained head and neck injuries, a concussion, multiple lacerations about the face and head, and multiple bruises, said Milford Deputy Police Chief James Heron, in an emailed message.

Weija Tang, 25, who was driving the Honda Accord, also was injured, although less so than the officer. Tang, of Allston, also was released from the hospital Wednesday. She will be cited, said Heron, for not stopping at the stop sign on Green Street.

Villani is expected to be out of work for an extended period of time, Heron said. 

The Milford cruiser, a 2011 Ford Crown Victoria, was a total loss of $25,000. The license plate reader it carried was damaged, and is expected to cost $20,000 to replace, he said. The dashboard computer and other electronics inside also were destroyed, at a value of $10,000.

Original Post:

A Milford Police officer and another motorist were injured Wednesday morning in a collision at Route 140 and Green Street.

The injuries for both were not life-threatening but serious, according to police. Both the officer and the woman driving the Honda Accord were taken to Milford Regional Medical Center, said Milford Deputy Police Chief James Heron.

The identities were not released Wednesday morning, as family was being contacted.

The crash was reported about 8:11 a.m. and the impact sent both vehicles into the side of Route 140. In both vehicles, airbags were deployed and the windshield in the Accord was shattered. Neither was ejected, Heron said.

The patrol cruiser was one equipped with the license plate reader used by Milford Police to check vehicle registrations. The cameras flew off the back of the cruiser in the collision.

An initial investigation indicates the driver of the Honda Accord was on Green Street, heading west, while the police officer was heading north on Route 140. He was not responding to an emergency call, Heron said.

The Accord crossed into the travel lane, and its left front side collided with the right front of the cruiser, said Heron.

As is policy, the investigation of the crash involving the cruiser will not be conducted by Milford Police. Instead, the investigation will be conducted by a regional group of police, the Central Massachusetts law enforcement reconstruction team. Its members had arrived on scene by mid-morning and were beginning their work.

Route 140 remains open.


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