Local News

Police investigate trip wires set up on Midstate Trail

"To think someone would intentionally want to hurt someone that's out there enjoying the beautiful trails is really upsetting."

A woman who came across the trip wires Sunday afternoon described them as yellow and four to five inches off the ground. Spencer Police Department

By Mihiro Shimano

September 21, 2021

1 minute to read

Spencer police are turning to the public for help in finding the person responsible for putting up trip wires on the Midstate Trail in Spencer. According to NECN, the trip wires were found on the trail near some houses, not too far off from the road.

The trip wire was found by Sarah Gates of Leominster on Sunday afternoon while Gates and a friend were hiking the trail, NECN reported. She said the yellow wire was tied between two trees approximately four to five inches above the ground.

“When I realized what this was, I just kind of wanted to get out of there,” Gates told NECN. “It freaked me out, and I wanted to get away from it.”

According to the Spencer Police Department, trip-lines had been placed in multiple locations along the Midstate Trail. The police told NECN that if an individual got caught in the trip wire and was hurt, calling for help could take some time due to the remote location of some parts of the trail.

Gates said that she had taken a photo to send to hikers on social media groups to warn them.

“Those trails are beautiful. They’re so much fun to hike on, and to think someone would intentionally want to hurt someone that’s out there enjoying the beautiful trails is really upsetting,” Gates told NECN.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact Detective Inzerillo of the Spencer Police Department at 508-885-6333.