Latest news with #SouthingtonHighSchool
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
CT man accused of speeding through traffic during graduation ceremony, crashing with child in car
A Bristol man faces charges for allegedly nearly striking multiple officers while speeding through a traffic detail on Thursday during the Southington High School graduation ceremony where police alleged that he drove over the curb and crashed into a fence with a child in the vehicle. Police working the detail shortly after 8 p.m. had eastbound traffic stopped on Flanders Street when they saw the driver of a white Chevy Trailblazer go over the grassy median in the high school parking lot and cross the sidewalk, according to Capt. Nathan Boislard of the Southington Police Department. The driver then got onto Flanders Street and passed a row of stopped vehicles, Boislard said. The driver continued toward police and sped up as officers were yelling for him to stop the vehicle, according to Boislard and dashcam video released from the incident. As the driver increased his speed he abruptly turned right on Annelise Avenue and drove over a curb before striking a fence and causing other unspecified damage, Boislard said. He then fled the area heading north. According to Boislard, multiple officers had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck by the vehicle. Boislard said information about the incident was relayed to patrol officers who were able to stop the driver on Queen Street. He was identified as 43-year-old Stephen Buckler of Bristol. Officers found that there were two other adults in the vehicle, a teenager and a 6-year-old, according to Boislard. Buckler was taken into custody and charged with risk of injury to child, first-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, evading responsibility and failure to drive in the proper lane. He was held on $50,000 bond and was expected to face a judge on Friday in New Britain Superior Court.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man charged for reckless driving with 6-year-old in the vehicle in Southington
SOUTHINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) — A man is facing charges for reckless driving with a 6-year-old in the car in Southington on Thursday, police said. Stephen Buckler, 43, of Bristol was charged with risk of injury to child, reckless endangerment in the first degree, disobeying signal of an officer, evading responsibility and failure to drive in proper lane. Police use tracking device to help apprehend Hamden carjacking suspects Police said around 8:10 p.m., authorities were working a traffic detail at the Southington High School graduation ceremonies. Police saw a white Chevy Trailblazer drive over the grassy median in the High School parking lot, cross the sidewalk, and enter Flanders Street, passing a row of stopped vehicles. Authorities said the vehicle continued traveling towards police as they asked the driver of the white Chevy Trailblazer to stop. The vehicle allegedly began to speed as it headed towards police and 'abruptly' turned right on Annelise Avenue, where it drove over a curb, striking a fence. Police said it caused other private property damage before fleeing the area northbound. According to police, the officers in the roadway had to jump out of the way of the moving vehicle. Police said there were two other adults and a 6-year-old in the car. He was arrested and is scheduled to appear in court on June 13. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
CT high school student charged in connection with TikTok trend involving Chromebook
A high school student in Wallingford faces charges in connection with a TikTok challenge that encourages students to start a fire using their Chromebook in school. The student reportedly stuck a graphite pencil into the Chromebook USB port on May 7 at Lyman Hall High School, according to the Wallingford Police Department. The device started to spark and created a fire hazard, police said. The building did not need to be evacuated, according to police. No injuries were reported. The student was charged with third-degree criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit reckless burning. This is at least the fifth incident in Connecticut where a student attempted a TikTok challenge that has been reported across other parts of the country. The challenge encourages students to insert a metallic device into a Chromebook, which can cause them to catch on fire and smoke. Two students were charged after a laptop caught on fire on May 7 at Southington High School where a teacher threw the smoking Chromebook out a window before firefighters responded and the building was evacuated, according to the Southington Police Department. A similar incident was reported on May 8 at the Middle School of Plainville where a student was treated for smoke inhalation after reportedly causing a Chromebook to catch on fire, school officials said. The student was expected to face charges. Similar incidents have also been reported at schools in Cromwell, Newington and other towns.
Fast Company
15-05-2025
- Fast Company
Teens are still setting fire to Chromebooks for TikTok clout
Students are still setting fire to their Chromebooks for TikTok—and now they're facing the consequences. Fast Company first reported on the #ChromebookChallenge trend last week, following a series of school evacuations caused by students igniting laptop fires. The fires are started by inserting items such as pencils, paper clips, and pushpins into the charging ports of school-issued Chromebooks. This can cause the battery to overheat, potentially sparking a fire or explosion that releases toxic fumes. The #ChromebookChallenge reportedly began in Connecticut and has since spread rapidly. Newington High School was the first to evacuate students on May 1 after a laptop caught fire and the fire department was called. Since then, two students at Southington High School were arrested in connection with a separate laptop fire on May 7. The teens were charged with reckless burning, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and second-degree breach of peace. On May 8, a Plainville middle school student was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and is now facing criminal charges for deliberately causing the incident. That same day, Belleville High School in New Jersey was evacuated after a laptop fire started outside a classroom. Responding officers and firefighters found a charred Chromebook just outside the building. A 15-year-old student has since been charged with arson and criminal mischief. The trend has spread westward: As of late last week, Denver Public Schools had received 30 reports of students attempting to ignite their laptops, according to Axios. The Colorado Springs Fire Department has reported at least 16 similar incidents. With no sign of the trend slowing, schools across the country—including in California, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Washington—have issued warnings about the reckless challenge. Parents and guardians are also being urged to talk to their children about fire safety and the dangers of blindly following social media trends. A TikTok spokesperson tells Fast Company that it takes down content that violates the platform's Dangerous Activities and Challenges policy. The company is currently working closely with the National PTA to fund programs in high schools about online safety and civility. In addition, searching for the term 'Chromebook challenge' on TikTok brings up a safety warning: 'Some online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing, or even fabricated,' it reads. 'Learn how to recognize harmful challenges so you can protect your health and well-being.' However, the trend is still circulating under other hashtags, such as #ChromebookDurabilityTest and #FStudent. Many of these videos go viral, garnering thousands of views and comments from fellow students and baffled adults. The clips often feature a sound bite from fitness podcaster Ben Azoulay: 'The F students are inventors,' Azoulay says. 'They're so creative that they couldn't sit in class.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 Southington high schoolers charged after laptop fire
SOUTHINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) — Two students at Southington High School face charges after a laptop caught fire — an incident that police said was possibly influenced by a social media challenge trending on TikTok. Police said the school resource officer responded to a report of smoke from a room around 12:45 p.m. on May 7. The officer learned that the smoke was coming from a Chromebook laptop computer. A school staff member had thrown the computer out the window before theofficer arrived, according to police. Laptop catches fire at Southington High School Police determined that two boys—a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old—stuck objects into the laptop, causing it to catch fire. The school was temporarily evacuated. No students or staff were injured, and no otherproperty was reported damaged, police said. 'It should be noted that this incident may have been influenced by an apparent TikTok trend referred to as the 'Chromebook Challenge,' which involves inserting metal objects into the Chromebook in [an] attempt to cause a fire,' police said. The two teens were arrested and charged with reckless burning, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and second-degree breach of peace. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
