CLARKSBURG, Mass. — A bomb squad technician removed a suspicious bottle of chemicals Wednesday morning from Middle Road.
"It's something kids usually mess around with," Police Chief Michael Williams said. "They put household chemicals in a bottle, it expands until it breaks but [this one] probably vented before it broke."
Williams said the plastic bottle was discovered by a homeowner off the side of the road on her property. "She thought it was trash but somebody told her to call the police ... there was something inside it that looked funny."
It appeared that a household chemical had been mixed into the bottle with an element to cause a reaction. He said they're not uncommon and he had run across one in the past that had burst.
The bomb squad was contacted and a technician came up to make sure it was safe. "He packaged it up and removed it," said Williams. "We didn't want anyone to get hurt."
The so-called "works bombs" or bottle bombs are easy to make and cause a bang when they blow up. The device is dangerous to the individuals mixing the chemicals but could cause serious injuries if someone was holding it or near it when it burst.
The bottle was apparently tossed or dropped by the road sometime during the night or early morning. There was no indication anyone was being targeted.
However, a works bomb would classify it as an "infernal device," said Williams, and that could mean up to 15 years in prison for possession.
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