Joyride in Rutland ends with arrest and summons after pickup trucks tear through field and residential streets

RUTLAND — On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at approximately 4:15 p.m., Rutland Police Officers Justin Lawlor and Steve DiGiovanni responded to a report of two trucks — one light-colored and the other black — driving around, tearing up fields near the intersection of Emerald Road and Hillside Road. One of the drivers was reportedly wearing pajamas.

(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Justin Lawlor and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)

When the officers arrived on scene, they saw tire marks in the wet grass on one of the fields at the intersection, but no trucks were present in the area at that time.

“After checking for more specific information with dispatch and the original calling party, [name redacted], we were told it was a field a little further down Emerald Road,” Officer Lawlor said. “Before we could begin making our way to that field, a new dispatch report was called in of two trucks matching the description of the ones we were already searching for speeding down Irish Lane at a high rate of speed towards MA-122, Barre-Paxton Road.”

Officer Lawlor said that Officer DiGiovanni went down Emerald Lane, while he turned on his lights and sirens and headed back up Hillside Road to Prescott Street. From there, he went north on Maple Avenue, then west on Main Street (MA-122A), and turned south onto MA-122 to try to spot the trucks.

“As I arrived at MA-122A and MA-122, I saw a gray Chevrolet Silverado and a black Chevrolet truck, completely coated in visible mud despite the rainfall, traveling fast around the righthand turn from MA-122 to MA-122A,” Officer Lawlor said.

Officer Lawlor said the vehicles slowed as he approached with his blue lights activated and came to a stop when he made a U-turn to pull in behind them and conduct the stop on MA-122A.

“I approached the rear truck, which was bearing MA PC [# redacted], which comes back [with a] cancelled status to a blue Honda Pilot,” Officer Lawlor said. “The vehicle was operated by Tyler Fish, who did not have his license in his possession.”

According to Officer Lawlor, Fish immediately leaned out the window of his truck and said, “I just bought it, I just took it out just to make sure it ran good. I’m sorry, I know what I’m doing’s wrong.” He then stated, “I tried to stick to the backroads.”

“I asked if he was also on any fields, and he stated, ‘Oh, you mean like Emerald? I’m sorry, yes.’ I informed him there was a camera record of him being in the fields there,” Officer Lawlor said.

At this time, Officer DiGiovanni and Sergeant Troy Chauvin arrived on scene to assist.

“Sgt. Chauvin spoke with the operator of the front vehicle briefly,” Officer Lawlor said. “Before I could speak with the operator of the next truck, Sgt. Chauvin and I did temporarily divert to a high priority call while Officer DiGiovanni remained with both vehicles and operators. Upon my return to scene, Officer DiGiovanni had detained Fish in marked cruiser #1.”

Officer Lawlor said that Officer DiGiovanni informed him he had allowed Fish to sit in his truck while he ran his information on the mobile data terminal in his cruiser, and when he returned to speak with him, he noticed a large handle sticking out from under the driver’s seat within Fish’s reach.

Officer Lawlor said that Officer DiGiovanni asked Fish what the object was, and Fish replied that it was a knife. Fish then asked if he should grab it, but Officer DiGiovanni told him to leave it where it was so he could inspect it safely.

“Upon removing the knife from the vehicle, it was found to be a 9-inch, double-edged fixed blade with a silver handle, which was taken into evidence,” Officer Lawlor said. Later adding, “Sergeant Kevin Marderosian of the Oakham Police Department arrived to assist, and began inventorying the rest of the vehicle prior to towing, Fish was officially declared under arrest at 4:52 p.m., and Officer DiGiovanni read him his Miranda rights.”

After Fish was placed under arrest, Officer Lawlor spoke with the operator of the other vehicle, Evan Wasiuk, who he said also did not have his driver’s license in his possession.

According to police, Evan M. Wasiuk, 23, is a resident of Newman Drive in Rutland, MA.

“The vehicle registration, MA PC [# redacted], was actively registered on the 2002 Chevy Silverado to [name redacted], Evan’s father,” Officer Lawlor said. “Wasiuk was informed that he and Fish were recorded on cameras in the fields and reported to be hurtling down Irish Lane. I informed him that Fish was under arrest, and that he was going to be summonsed to court for the negligent operation of the motor vehicle, as well as the destruction of property at the field. I informed Wasiuk that I’d also be sending in a request for immediate threat license suspension/revocation with Registry of Motor Vehicles, and that I’d be towing the vehicle.”

Officer Lawlor said that Officer Marderosian provided Wasiuk with courtesy transportation to the Rutland Police Department lobby at 242 Main Street and allowed him to bring several personal items. Officer Lawlor completed a motor vehicle inventory of Wasiuk’s vehicle prior to it being towed.

“Bill’s Garage arrived and towed Fish’s vehicle to their impound yard, and then returned and towed Wasiuk’s vehicle to the impound yard,” Officer Lawlor said. “The registration plates from Fish’s vehicle were removed and are in Rutland Police Department possession.”

Officer Lawlor said that Fish was transported to the Rutland Police Department at 242 Main Street by Officer DiGiovanni. Sergeant Chauvin and Officer DiGiovanni assisted with the booking process, informed Fish of his right to a phone call, and placed him in cell #1. Bail Commissioner Don Haapakoski was contacted and set bail at personal recognizance.

Officer Lawlor said a man came to the station with several printed photographs captured by his surveillance cameras in a field off Emerald Road.

Officer Lawlor said he contacted the individual who reported the two men for operating their vehicles negligently on Irish Lane.

“[The reporting party] stated that he was on the road in the area of 38 Irish Lane, walking his dog, when he heard the extremely loud vehicles coming from down the road where he couldn’t even see them yet,” Officer Lawlor said. “He stated that he got off the road with his dog in time for both trucks to pass him at approximately 50 mph.”

Officer Lawlor said the reporting party described the vehicles as one lighter-colored truck followed by a very dark-colored truck.

Officer Lawlor added, “Officer DiGiovanni returned to the correct field and took photographs, which are attached to this report, of the ‘POSTED PRIVATE PROPERTY HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING OR TRESPASSING FOR ANY PURPOSE IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED,’ signs on the entry Fish and Wasiuk took onto the field.”

A summons was issued for Evan Wasiuk to appear in court on the following charges:

• Vandalize property (damage to field)
• Trespassing
• Negligent operation of a motor vehicle
• License not in possession

Tyler Fish, who was arrested at the scene, was later released on personal recognizance at 7:20 p.m.

“I will also be submitting a Request for Immediate Threat License Suspension/Revocation forms to the Registry of Motor Vehicles for both Fish and Wasiuk,” Officer Lawlor said.

Wasiuk’s arraignment is scheduled for July 15, 2025, in East Brookfield District Court.

(Please note that the totality of the charges and the court dates for Tyler Fish were not included in the documents News Link Live obtained through its FOIA request of the incident.)

Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in May, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.

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