Framingham cruiser strikes man on Waverly Street	August 20, 2011
Brad Petrishen 508-490-7463	Metrowest Daily News
FRAMINGHAM -- A man was in critical condition today after being struck by a police car early Saturday morning on Waverly Street. Lt. Ron Brandolini said the man, whose name has not been released, stumbled into the street near 395 Waverly St. at 12:49 a.m. and was struck by a cruiser driven by officer James Wright. James Wright is a 2010 new hire from some police academy "It appears that the man was intoxicated when he stumbled off the sidewalk," Brandolini said, adding that at least one witness saw the accident and confirmed the officer's account. The accident occurred across the street from Railroad Six Sports Grill, formerly The Happy Swallow. Brandolini said Wright was on a non-emergency call at the time of the accident and did not have his emergency lights flashing. He said the man appears to have struck the windshield before falling to the ground with a head injury. Deputy Fire Chief Richard Garvey said yesterday that the man was unconscious before the ambulance arrived but regained some level of consciousness at the scene. Garvy said the man's mental state was difficult to determine in part because he did not speak English. The man wasn't able to communicate with emergency personnel beyond giving his name, he said. Garvey said an ambulance took the man to the closest helicopter landing zone at the Public Works property on Western Avenue. A Boston MedFlight helicopter was scheduled and cancelled, he said, because of poor weather conditions. Garvey said a LifeFlight chopper from UMass Memorial Center in Worcester was then called and landed at about 1:30 a.m. According to radio communications, the helicopter landed in Worcester at 2:12 a.m. Brandolini said he wasn't sure how fast the officer was driving at the time the car struck the man.

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