Freetown man accused of intentionally dropping screws on roadway for weeks, infuriating drivers and town workers

A Freetown man is being accused of intentionally dispersing screws along well-traveled sections of South Main Street in the town’s Assonet Village for the past few weeks.

“As a result, vehicles traveling along this section have sustained damaged tires and [the] town’s highway department has spent a great deal of time removing screws from the roadway,” Freetown police noted in a release.

Peter Vasconcellos, 56, who resides within a section of the roadway where the screws were placed, was arrested Tuesday around 4:45 p.m. and charged with operation of a vehicle after license revoked, operation of a vehicle with revoked registration, and uninsured operation.

As police were taking inventory of his car, they allegedly found screws in the driver’s door compartment and an open box of screws behind the center console, which they say match the type of screws recovered from the roadway.

Charles Macomber, Freetown’s highway surveyor, told WPRI-TV that town workers have had to pick up at least 100 screws in that area every day for the past few weeks.

“The last three weeks, seven days a week, we have been plagued with screws,” Macomber told the television station. “I’ve got a five-gallon bucket at the shop that is probably half full.”

Each week, approximately 50 tires with screws in them have shown up at PJ’s Tire in Assonet, Jamie Levasseur, who works at the shop, told WBZ-TV, adding, “People are mad.”

An investigation remains ongoing. Police are asking anyone whose vehicle tires sustained damage while driving along this route to contact detectives at 508-763-4017.