Vermont State Police This is a further update to the press release, identifying Operators, Occupants and Vehicle information involved in the secondary crashes that occurred on the evening of October 08, 2016. Information related to Case 15A105171, in which five high school students died on Interstate 89, is further below. Updated 1:10 am October 10, 2016.
CASE#: 16A10A5172
TROOPER: Cpl. Michelle LeBlanc
STATION: VSP Williston Barracks
CONTACT#: (802) 878-7111
DATE/TIME: 10/08/2016 at approximately 2347 hours
STREET: Interstate 89 Southbound
TOWN: Williston VT
LANDMARK AND/OR CROSS STREETS: French Hill
INTERSTATE MILE MARKER: Mile Marker 80/8
VEHICLE #1
OPERATOR: Steven Bourgoin
AGE: 36
SEAT BELT? Unknown
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Williston, VT
VEHICLE YEAR: 2015
VEHICLE MAKE: Ford
VEHICLE MODEL: Explorer
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #1: Totaled
INJURIES: Critical
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
VEHICLE #2
OPERATOR: Alexandra Harris
AGE: 23
SEAT BELT: Yes
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Essex, VT
VEHICLE YEAR: 2012
VEHICLE MAKE: Volkswagen
VEHICLE MODEL: Jetta (Black)
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #2: Substantial
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
VEHICLE #3
OPERATOR: Mary Ryan-Lambert
AGE: 29
SEAT BELT: Yes
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Quechee, VT
VEHICLE YEAR: 2011
VEHICLE MAKE: Volkswagen
VEHICLE MODEL: Jetta (DK Blue)
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #3: Substantial
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
PASSANGER #1: Katie Lambert (Front)
AGE: 32
SEAT BELT: Yes
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Atlanta, GA
VEHICLE #4
OPERATOR: Michael Plunkett
AGE: 27
SEAT BELT: Yes
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Richmond, VT
VEHICLE YEAR: 2005
VEHICLE MAKE: Honda
VEHICLE MODEL: CRV (Blue)
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #4: Substantial
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
VEHICLE #5
OPERATOR: Christopher Howland
AGE: 50
SEAT BELT: Yes
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Richmond, VT
VEHICLE YEAR: 2011
VEHICLE MAKE: Toyota
VEHICLE MODEL: Venza (Black)
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #5: Substantial
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
PASSANGER #1: Laura Howland (Front)
AGE: 48
SEAT BELT: Yes
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Richmond, VT
VEHICLE #6
OPERATOR: Arthur George
AGE: 47
SEAT BELT: Yes
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Waterbury, VT
VEHICLE YEAR: 2008
VEHICLE MAKE: Ford
VEHICLE MODEL: Focus (Gray)
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #6: Substantial
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
VEHICLE #7
OPERATOR: Hoyt Battey
AGE: 63
SEAT BELT: Yes
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Montpelier, VT
VEHICLE YEAR: 2006
VEHICLE MAKE: Honda
VEHICLE MODEL: Civic (Blue)
PASSANGER #1: Elizabeth Battey (Front)
AGE: 62
SEAT BELT: Yes
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Montpelier, VT
VEHICLE #8
OPERATOR: Carmel Scaturro
AGE: 52
SEAT BELT: Yes
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Long Beach, NY
VEHICLE YEAR: 2016
VEHICLE MAKE: Mazda
VEHICLE MODEL: XXX (Red)
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #6: Substantial
INJURIES: Non-life threatening
HOSPITAL: UVM Medical Center
These crashes are still under investigation at this time and anyone with information is asked to call the Williston State Police (802) 878-7111.
Date: October 9, 2016 at 6:00:26 PM EDT
UPDATED INFORMATION:
Case: 15A105171
The following information is an update to the press release that was provided by Vermont StatePolice, Captain Michael Henry on the morning of October 09, 2016:
The primary crash resulted in the death of all five occupants of the 2004 Volkswagen Jetta.
The preliminary identification of those five victims are:
Mary Harris, 16 of Moretown, VT
Cyrus Zschau, 16 of Moretown, VT
Liam Hale, 16, of Fayston, VT
Janie Cozzi, 15 of Fayston, VT
Eli Brookens, 16 of Waterbury, VT
The families of the victims have all been notified at this time.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will be conducting examinations to confirm those preliminary identifications.
The proper identification of Vehicle #1 in the primary crash is a 2012 Toyota TACOMA, not Tundra.
Steven Bourgoin is still currently a patient at the University of Vermont Medical Center and the extent of his injuries are unknown at this time.
These crashes are still under investigation at this time and anyone with information is asked to call the Williston State Police (802) 878-7111.
Captain Dan Trudeau
Bureau of Criminal Investigations
Vermont State Police
STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
PRESS RELEASE
MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH
CASE#: 16A105171
TROOPER:
BARRACKS: Williston
CONTAC#: (802) 878-7111
DATE/TIME: 10/9/2016 2347 Hrs
Highway: Interstate 89 South Mile Marker 80.8
TOWN: Williston
WEATHER: Clear
ROAD CONDITIONS: Dry, Standard Blacktop
VEHICLE #1
OPERATOR: under investigation
AGE:
SEAT BELT:
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE:
VEHICLE #1
VEHICLE YEAR: 2012
VEHICLE MAKE: Toyota
VEHICLE MODEL: Tacoma
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #1: Totaled
INJURIES: Non-incapacitating injuries
HOSPITAL: University of Vermont Medical Center
VEHICLE #2
VEHICLE YEAR: 2004
VEHICLE MAKE: Volkswagen
VEHICLE MODEL: Jetta
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #2: Totaled
INJURIES: Fatalities
HOSPITAL: N/A
On Saturday October 8th 2016 at 2343 hours, State Police 911 dispatchers received a report of a wrong way driver on Interstate 89 in the town of Bolton, VT. The caller reported a truck driving northbound in the southbound lane. Multiple additional 911 calls were received from motorist who continued to report the pick-up truck traveling northbound in the southbound lane. Richmond Police, Williston Police and the Vermont State Police responded to attempt to intercept the wrong way driver. At 2352 hours, 911 dispatchers received a call of a motor vehicle crash on Interstate 89 at mile marker 80.8 in the Town of Williston.
The Williston Police Department was the first to arrive on scene, and observed a two vehicle crash with one of the vehicles engulfed in flames in the median. The Williston officer retrieved a fire extinguisher and ran towards the engulfed vehicle. The Williston officer pulled one female victim from the engulfed vehicle toward the side of the road. As the officer was attempting to extinguish the fire, a male, later identified as Steven D. Bourgoin (36), entered the Williston police cruiser and began to drive south at a high rate of speed. The Williston Officer radioed that his cruiser was stolen. A Richmond Police Officer set up at the U-turn at mile marker 77 to intercept the stolen police cruiser. Bourgoin encountered a Richmond police officer and turned around on the interstate. Bourgoin then traveled northbound in the southbound lane back towards the original crash scene at a high rate of speed whereupon he struck seven vehicles. Bourgoin was taken into custody and transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
The primary crash resulted in five (5) fatalities. The deceased victims will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office (OCME) for an autopsy. The identification of the deceased victims is being withheld until positive identifications can be made through the OCME.
There were multiple injuries in the second crash, and those folks were transported to UVM medical Center with non-life threatening injures. The identity of the vehicles and occupants from the second crash will be released at a later date.
This crash is still under investigation and anyone with any information is asked to call the Williston State Police(802) 878-7111.