A 12-year-old Springfield boy was airlifted to Boston late this afternoon after he was injured at an electrical sub-station on Merrill Street.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130514/THISJUSTIN/130519976
Boy injured at Springfield power station May 14,2013 Rutland Herald Staff Report SPRINGFIELD -- A 12-year-old Springfield boy was airlifted to Boston on Tuesday afternoon after he was injured at an electrical sub-station on Merrill Street in downtown Springfield. Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston said the boy, Ian Treadway, was with some friends and climbed the fence at the substation, got onto some equipment and grabbed an electrical line. The incident caused downtown Springfield and a large portion of the town to immediately lose power. Dotty Schnure, spokeswoman for Green Mountain Power, said the boy, Ian Treadway, was "conscious and moving" before he was taken to Springfield Hspital. The fact the boy was still conscious is a good sign, she said. The nature of his injuries was not immediately announced. Schnure said Green Mountain employees checked the substation and it was still locked and secure at the time of the incident. She said that GMP was also starting its own investigation. "Our hearts go out to the boy's family and we are wishing for the best outcome," she said. Exactly how the boy made contact with the electrical wire is unknown, but Schnure said Springfield Police were talking to the boy's companions to learn what happened. The boy was first taken to Springfield Hospital, where he was picked up by the DHART helicopter for the airlift to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The incident happened just after 4 p.m., and the incident knocked out power to more than 2,000 Green Mountain Power customers in Springfield, Chester, Rockingham, Weathersfield, Athens and Grafton. Schnure said the South Street substation, as it is known, serves a large number of people in the area. tags: transformer, nearly electrocuted, high intensity, shock, Ian Treadway
how did he get over the fence???
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteWhy do people make it out to be the parents fault. No he shouldn't have been there, but it happened and we should be saying prayers that he will be okay.
ReplyDeleteBecause the parents should know where the kids are and be responsible for their actions! Where were any of the parents??
DeleteHe was trying to earn a Darwin Award in front of his peers. He is 12 so he can read the danger high voltage and keep out signs. He got over the fence believe it or dont by climbing. Its barbed wire not razor ribbon folks....
ReplyDeleteIt is a three foot fence, a toddler could of gotten over it !!
DeleteInstead of looking to place blame we should all be praying for Ian and his family. This is not his parents fault. It is a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteYou anonymous people should shut up or grow up. Certinaly, we should be concerned and hopeful that the boy is not crippled or dies, that he make a full and healthy recovery. However, this event is not a tragedy, look it up in your dictionary, learn the English language. A tragedy is an unforseen happening. An "on purpose" is when someone ignores the "No Trespass" and "Danger" signs and subverts the protective devices, like fences. Certainly, this situation calls for blame. Over 2000 homes were affected. That said, the parents should be blamed for not raising their son to respect property and obey rules. Fault lies squarely on this young man and he and his parents should be held financially accountable for the damages and for the inconvenience to the community.
ReplyDeleteYes, this was an unfortunate event. He is only TWELVE! They sometimes make poor decisions. Parents cannot be with their children all the time. But complaining about the "inconvenience to the community" is harsh! I am sure your children have never done anything that wasn't absolutely brilliant and you have never made a mistake in your parenting. Good for you. I hope you can keep up your perfect record, but in the meantime, the rest of us will be praying this child recovers.
DeletePoor decisions at that age involve staying up extra late on a school night, or swiping a candy bar. Ignoring danger signs and getting around or over a chainlink fence with barbed wire to get close to humming electrical equipment is a beyond stupid decision that a 12 year old should know not to make. He is very fortunate to be alive still. I too hope he makes a full recovery, but he deserves the community scorn he gets.
DeleteYou don't know his story. Who the heck are you to judge. Gosh...no matter what, they deserve our prayers and thoughts. The rest of us can thank God it wasn't our child.
DeleteI agree with the original poster. Parents in Springfield seem pretty lax about teaching their kids wrong from right. What's next? Lawsuits against GMP for not making the fences higher and the signs bigger?
DeleteMs. F, unless he was seriously developmentally disabled, we don't need to hear his story. 12 is old enough to be responsible for not getting yourself killed while breaking the law and ignoring warning signs and fences with sharp pointy things on it. We never expect responsibility from kids and wonder why they have a hard time as adults when the world actually demands it. Work up all the excuses and pity points you can, Ms. F, he still deserves to be embarrassed for this.
DeleteYou people are obviously oblivious, ignorant and selfish Springfielders...12 is a child, by definitaion of the state, government and by level headed americans. He can not be and should not be held responsible for poor decisions. He will be punished enough every day, as he sees the everlasting wounds I am sure he will endure from this accident. This Blog site once again proves that shallow, spiteful and ignorant people now how to read and write.
DeleteSaying a 12 year old is "responsible enough for not getting yourself killed" is more irresponisble then this TRAGIC ACCIDENT.
1:18, you are spouting names at people YOU don't know.
DeleteSimply put, around age 7 kids can tell right from wrong very well, if for no other reason that because they don't want to get in trouble. If adults never hold them responsible for their actions, how will they tell right from wrong? By 12 he should be able to form coherent reasons behind why something is actually wrong.
Put a picture of that substation in front of all his peers with it's signs and fences and barbed wire and ask them if it was okay or safe to go in there, every single one would say "no".
It is tragic that he has to pay such a heavy price for his foolishness, but in truth he made the decision to go in there, he will have to live with the consequences.
The most ignorant thing on here is your assertion that children have no responsibility or any repercussions from anything they do. The world and natural order does not work that way. "Poor" decisions get you in trouble, or otherwise affect you (or someone else, if you are an advanced human being and consider others) in a negative way. "Stupid" decisions are ones that nearly kill you (or others) and invite ways for Mother Nature to remove you from the gene pool. Fortunately events like this are somewhat rare in Springfield despite our "oblivious, ignorant and selfish" ways.
Amen! Mr. Stettner!
DeleteDon't have to know you to know that you are ignorant and self righteous, Springfield sounds like a miserable place to live.
DeleteThe power company should be held responsible on some part for this tragedy. They have a power sub-station in a residential neighborhood were children live and play EVERYDAY. The fence around this sub-station is three feet high !!! Doesnt seem like they think it is too dangerous either if 3 feet is all they can muster up !!! Pray for this innocent boy who was only retrieving a ball that got hit into this area !!!
DeleteI remember the substation near my house when I was a kid. It didn't have barbed wire on the fence but it had high voltage signs. I never climbed the fence. The power company shouldn't be expected to protect idiots.
DeleteA residential neighborhood, where do you live? The Shopping Plaza, Redemption Center or the River. Not to many residences surrounding the substation in question that I recall
Deletea fence is a fence,the keep out signs should of meant something,i believe the fence is taller then 3 feet
DeleteAccountability in Springfield? Sir you've gone mad...
ReplyDeleteEditor, The picture associated with this article goes with the Union Street, Elks club story and not the Power outage story.
ReplyDeleteThe boy referenced in the Elks story picture here is said to be the boy injured at the substation.
ReplyDeleteLots of adults judging the thought process of a 12 year old and the depth of love of the parents. "Judge not, lest Ye be judged." That young man is loved by many, and no one has the right to devalue it with cruel, foolish commentary. My heart goes out to he and his family.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteI remember 12 still and my parents were present and good parents, but I still did stupid things. I was a child after all.
Parents can do the best they can and something can happen with such a major impact.
Signed by a completely different Mrs. F.
you mean, "him and his family", not "he and his family" where did you learn English? Springfield?
DeleteI'm with you. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and to this 12 year old CHILD.
Deletehttp://youtu.be/H-Fn2XnECOA
ReplyDeleteThis is so awful, my thoughts are with him and his family and friends....
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteTo all of the people here making judgements about his kid...................
ReplyDeleteWhen you are independently verified as being perfect in all regards you have every right to judge this kid. Otherwise realize that we are ALL human, and at his age we all did stupid things. Get off the blame train! We're so damned worried about assigning blame that we lose sight that a child was badly hurt. Get real!
Every adult is perfectly within their right to judge the actions of kids. Like, we pay teachers to do that every day. Hello. From what I understand this kid was hurt in the course of committing a crime so why you think he deserves sympathy is beyond me. I for one did not steal for drugs when I was a kid.
DeleteWhy would you write this? Is it because you are ignorant?
DeleteJudge to "yourself" then. You have a right to your opinion BUT Ian is 12 not even a teenager yet! I don't get how anyone can not show sympathy. I guess I should know there are those who are non loving Christian thinking people out there who have no heart. Thank GOD there are more good people than NOT!
DeleteNo school today???
ReplyDeleteEarly release.
DeleteYESSS, this is the Springfield I have come to know and love. Arguements, blame, bickering, compassion, all together, this is what makes our town special.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up everyone. I knew a tragedy like this would bring us back together!
This is a town made up of liberal democrats, what do you expect.
DeleteAre you bringing politics into this TRAGEDY! How unbelievable. This little boy is paying for his mistakes. Ya he did something stupid but he is still a little boy who need compassion and prayers. STOP blaming the parents too~WHERE IS YOUR HEART?! I could make a political statement too but it would make me as stupid as your statement!! Prayers go out to Ian, his family and his friends!
DeleteAnd you know for a fact that he was attempting to steal, and it wasn't the result of a dare? I also must assume that you have lived an utterly perfect life?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Deleteya they didn't have tv on andy Griffith show for a reason cuz it wouldn't be the same life that's why! Imagine Andy trying to explain teen mom on mtv to Opie! we're not in mayberry anymore.
DeleteYoung Ian has participated in drug awareness programs 3 years in a row, here is a news item from 3 years ago:
Deletehttp://compasspaper.com/drug-awareness-poster-contest-awards-p326.htm
Seems like not enough has been done to make kids aware of dangers of electricity. Many children's only experience with electrical shock is from touching metal after skating across a carpet in stocking feet. The electric cable in a substation doesn't look much different than a thick outdoor extension cord at home they have grabbed harmlessly.
I remember my mother warning me about keeping fingers away from power outlets when I was small but it wasn't until I got curious enough to stick my finger in a light socket at age 8 did I learn to really fear it.
At age 12, my father let me buy a science kit with parts to build simple electrical devices. One was a shock box which although only powered by only 2 flashlight batteries, it built up a charge large enough to give an unsuspecting victim picking it up a momentary strong shock equal to a farm kid touching an electric cattle fence. I like to think it spared all the neighbor kids from getting curious enough to stick a digit in a light socket like I did which I remember like it happened just yesterday.
Keep it up Springfield, do not let this blog administrator silence your hatred and spitefullness. Continue to demean a 12 year old based on a poor decision...
ReplyDeleteSay it loud and say it proud...We let town and school leadership off for their poor choices, but we dont let children off the hook for theirs!
Hey, nothing says Springfield like censorship. I don't think anyone's demeaning the kid. I think some people don't want to forgive someone just because he got hurt in the act of doing something he wasn't supposed to do. No matter if he was high or if he was stealing or if he just wanted to have fun he shouldn't have been doing it and a lot of people will pay for the consequences of his actions. Someone will have to pay at least $50,000 for that med flight to Boston. Oh but he was just being a kid, right? Someone will have to pay the $100K+ for weeks in the hospital and the $100k for rehab and guess who that'll be? The VT taxpayer. Censor the truth if you want but you can't hide it.
Delete2:31 good points, I hadn't considered that.
DeleteWhat about all the old people in this town constantly needing "rides" via ambulance, can we chastise them too? They are making dumb decisions like falling down stairs, forgeting to take their medicine, and having heart attacks.
DeleteYou mean the old people that paid into the system all their lives?
DeleteYou might have a valid point if stairs had a 7 foot tall fence with warning signs and barbed wire. Your comment is absurd.
Technically, falling down, forgetting, and having heart attacks aren't decisions but sure, you can chastise anyone for anything.
DeleteIf they had a poor diet and did not exercise a heart attack could be considered a decision.
DeleteNo, that's not a decision. At best you could call it a series of bad choices. Also, heredity has just as much or more to do with heart problems than diet and exercise.
Deletewhats the difference between a choice and a decision?
DeleteA choice implies freedom while a decision implies making a selection.
DeleteHummm- grabbing energized high voltage electrical equipment = BAD. Got it!
ReplyDeleteHope he's okay though.
I am completely astonished by the comments I have seen posted here. This boy is fighting for his life and people are angry that they were inconvenienced? They are pissed off that some 12 year old made a really BAD decision? Springfield must be full of perfect people, but I wouldn't want to be part of a community that lacks compassion for this child and his family!
ReplyDeleteWell Springfield isn't full of perfect kids, that's for sure. What makes you think a bad decision led that kid to climb over a barb wire fence with high-voltage and no trespassing signs? Maybe he was trying to off himself or maybe he was trying to steal something or even sabotage the power station. You have no idea any more than I do so be careful how quick you are to defend someone based on nothing more than how old they are.
DeleteI think everyone has compassion for Ian and his family for what they is going through and hopes for his speedy recovery. What is being contended is whether he was responsible at all for what he was doing. There is certainly a learning opportunity in here for others.
DeleteNever I said that I knew why he did it, but whatever the reason I think we can all agree it was a bad decision. Not defending his actions, I just choose not to judge him or his parents while he is fighting for his life. I'm sure there are some people in Springfield with some compassion, but most of these posts are just offensive at this time. People make mistakes and bad choices all the time, sometimes with consequences worse than this. But this boy and his family are being condemned by so many here. It is very sad to see this much intolerance. People should drop the self righteousness and put themselves in his parents place. It could be anyone's child, no matter how perfectly you raise your children. How about some love here....I'm sure they can use it and you might even feel better about yourself if you gave some.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThey can probably estimate how many watts he used up when he grabbed the wire but that would be pretty rude to bill the parents for that. More likely the parents will sue green mountain for not having armed guards to keep their kid from sneaking into the station to do whatever. Seriously I would love to know what his real plan was. If he hadn't got shocked what would he have done in there? Is anyone going to find out or is it just going to get swept under the rug?
DeleteIt was also pretty "rude" of him to trespass, knock out power to most of the town of Springfield, closed multiple businesses early, sending workers home early because they cannot work and putting the first responders in harms way when they SAVED HIS LIFE. Thus causing loss of revenue to all those businesses, workers and tax payers.
DeleteWhen I was 12 my parents taught me wrong from right, they also taught me about consequences. I believe the first one was when I was around 2 or 3 and had a butter knife ALMOST into an outlet. I also learned about no trespassing signs, barbed wire and that sound that substations make. All bad things to mess with. Then again when I was a kid parents were allowed to beat our butts when we did something wrong.
I'd like to know too. I bet if he was 5 years older the FBI would probably be at the hospital waiting to question him.
DeleteYou people are ignorant.
DeleteHow are we ignorant? The kid breaks the law, almost kills himself and we are all of a sudden hands across America for him. Like the next guy, I'm saddened that he was hurt. I'm also looking to the problems he caused, like I said earlier, all the businesses lost money because they couldn't do any transactions, people were sent home from work early so they will have a smaller check now.
DeleteSome people are living paycheck to paycheck and the few hours that this caused is going to hurt. How much are the doctors bills going to cost? I know the taxpayers will bear the burden on that.
Will this said I hope the child makes a full recovery and other kids learn from his mistakes. I also hope that parents teach their children about electricity and being dared to "jump off a bridge" if they asked, would you do it?
How do you know the tax payers will be bearing the burden for his "doctors bills"? Can you confirm this child has Dr. Dinosaur or some other publicly funded health insurance?
DeleteKids today are not taught manners and respect.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 12 many years ago I did not rule the roost.
My parents did. Not in todays world, the law makes it so.
Television shows might have had something to do with it.
Not much violence and stupidity. Good ole Andy and Ward.
Don't be to hard on the Beaver.
Today kids are taught to want everything for nothing.
Well wanting a power line has a price.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteAnon...Are you that Beavis or Butthead
DeleteJust what kids like you like
The good old days weren't always good and tomorrow aint as bad it seems.
DeleteI am an owner of a business that lost power yesterday and had customers inconvienced and lost some income but we will recover with no long term side effects. This young man may or may not be as fortunate. While I hope that he does fully recover this event needs to be a wake up call there are CONSEQUENCES FOR ACTIONS! Unfortunately the consequence may not always be equal to the action therefore parents must teach this to children at an early age. In this day age we are too focused on making sure "no one feels bad, everyone one is a winner, don't play games where children are singled out I.e. everyone gets a trophy. " Instead parents should be teaching their children "homework not done then no TV", Disrepect someones property you spend a Saturday cleaning it up." We as a society have become so paralyzed in trying to make sure childrens feelings or self esteem aren't bruised we have not taught them sometImes there are incredibly horrible consequences for actions intentional or not. That being said if you truly love for children teach them this from an early age it could save both you and your children from incredible pain & heart ache.
ReplyDeleteTo all of you, if the child has been sent to the Shriners Hospital there are no charges. The Shrine organization will help the families with transportation, motel rooms and yes give this medical treatment for free. That should put the end to speculation of costs for medical treatment.
ReplyDeleteAs far as GMP not having a power station next to a play ground. Well many years ago Freedom Park was South Street School and the substation was there then. This was prior to GMP so they inherited another company's poor judgment. The child and his friends should have heeded the signs, but they didn't. It was a poor choice.
Shriners, like St. Jude's, is not a 'freebee' as you state. Children are treated free of charge at both facilities if they have NO OTHER means to pay. Just so you know.
DeleteHeard this AM, that there were a group of "kids" at the sub-station and dared this young guy to climb over the fence and sit on a transformer. He was climbing the transformer and grabbed a wire going to it. And was shocked so bad.....
ReplyDelete(end of this post)
Except what to do (if this is not just hear-say) to the kids prompting him on ??
Pre-meditated "M" I believe they call it.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Deleteoh now it all makes sense! They get it all from tv you know. Nothing good every came from a tv tube.
DeleteRumors fly in times of tragedy, don't believe everything you hear! He was not trying to steal copper, he is not a kid who is using drugs. He is a 12 year old child who made a bad choice and in a split second changed his life forever. Trespassing or not, it was an ACCIDENT. Kids are innocent and many go through their childhood and teenage years thinking they are untouchable. Stop with your opinions and think positive thoughts for his tough recovery!
DeleteThe Darwin Award of the year goes to Ian Treadway
ReplyDeleteHe is 12, he can (I am assuming) read (on second thought he does attend Springfield Public Schools, I hope he survives this and goes on to live a productive life (one in which he works and becomes an asset to the community instead of draining its resources). He chose, for whatever reason, to go over the fence. Now he has to pay for his actions. I would feel differently if he was tossed into the substation by someone else, but that's not the case. I agree with all these folks who say there has to be repercussions for kids actions. A toddler who cannot read is innocent. A 12 year old, unless he/she has some sort of disability affecting judgment/learning, knows right from wrong. Again, I hope the kid survives, and I hope all those kids with him learned a valuable lesson. I will not, however, participate in making him a "victim", I won't rally round the flag with bake sales, etc. I think I will be paying enough, through my taxes, for his care over the next few months/years.
ReplyDelete