A rollover crash in Watertown ended an incident that began early Monday at The Morse School in Cambridgeport.
A man “suffering from severe mental illness” went to school grounds – where most students do not return until Sept. 3 – around 10 a.m. The man asked an employee about harming children and followed the employee to their car while making “nonsensical statements,” said Pauline Wells, superintendent of operations for Cambridge Police, in a statement released to media.
“There were no children outside,” police said later, “and the person did not have any contact with students or additional staff members. Staff ensured that children remained inside and all doors were secured.”
The man drove away in a gray Tesla and was soon spotted in traffic by Cambridge police. He would not stop for them, Wells said, and according to scanner reports began blowing through red lights in an attempt to get away. The car crossed into Boston by the Museum of Science, and Cambridge ended its pursuit and state and Boston police were alerted to take over.
Police caught up with the man in Watertown – making for a long path back to the west along the Charles River before the driver would be able to cross back over to wind up back near Mount Auburn Cemetery. On Greenough Boulevard, the Tesla rolled over at around 11:15 a.m. after colliding with a red car, according to scanner reports from state police.
The driver and passenger of the red car were taken to Mount Auburn Hospital as a precaution, while the Tesla driver was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and put under a mental health hold, Wells said.
This post was updated Aug. 14, 2024, to correct wrong information provided by officials that the man entered the Morse School building. More information was added about staff response.
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