ADDISON COUNTY — A Starksboro woman was killed in a one-car crash on Big Hollow Road in Starksboro on Sunday morning.
Vermont State Police reported that Stephanie D. Patsos, 23, was driving a 2001 Saturn SL on Big Hollow Road around 11:20 a.m. when the car traveled left of center and down an embankment on the south side of the roadway.
Patsos, who was not wearing a seat belt, was partially ejected from the vehicle in the crash, police reported, and she succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
The Saturn sustained significant windshield and passenger side contact damage.
Police said the road was snow covered, but that it had been sanded prior to the crash. The weather was sunny and clear.
This accident remains under investigation.
State police were assisted at the scene by the Starksboro Fire Department and the Bristol Rescue Squad.
Troopers also dealt with a number of other vehicle crashes on Jan. 2 and during the extreme weather on Jan. 3.
The worst of these was on the morning of Jan. 2, when the temperature was reported to be 8 degrees below zero with strong winds. Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh near Midstate Sports.
Troopers reported that Tyler DeGuise, 27, of Burlington was driving a 2014 Toyota Yaris northbound at an unknown speed on Route 7 at around 6:45 a.m. and fell asleep, at which point the car crossed the center of the road into the path of a 2013 Chevrolet 2500 HD truck driven by Lester Little, 67, of Ferrisburgh. Police said Little was driving southbound at approximately 40 mph and had no warning to avoid the collision.
The vehicles collided head-on in the southbound lane, causing massive front-end damage to both.
According to police, DeGuise sustained a fractured left femur in two places and fractures to both bones in the lower part of the same leg; he also had bleeding in his brain with facial injuries. He was taken to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. As of Tuesday he was still in the hospital and his condition was reported as good.
Little sustained bruising to his chest from the airbag and seat belt, resulting in minor bruises and lacerations to his face and head. He was taken to Porter Hospital. Both DeGuise and Little were wearing seat belts.
Police shut down Route 7 for approximately one hour while troopers conducted an investigation.
Anyone who has information on this incident is asked to contact state police at 802-388-4919. Information can also be submitted online at www.vtips.info or by texting “CRIMES” (274637) to Keyword: VTIPS.
Separately, after responding to a crash on Route 113 in Ira on Jan. 2 at approximately 8:18 a.m., police reported that Elizabeth Marrier, 26, of Brandon lost control of the 1991 Crown Victoria she was driving on the snow-covered road, crossed the center line and went off the road. No injuries were reported.
On Friday, Jan. 3, at 10 a.m. police went to a two-vehicle crash on Route 7 in Leicester, where it was snowing and the road was described as snow and ice covered. Troopers reported that Cale Quenneville, 20, of Leicester was backing a 1990s pickup out of his driveway when he backed onto Route 7, into the path of a 2000 Ford Explorer driven by Susan Drake, 53, of Brandon. The Explorer struck the pickup causing substantial damage to both vehicles. A passenger in Quenneville’s pickup sustained minor injuries and was transported to Porter Hospital for an evaluation.
Later that morning state police responded to a one-car crash on Route 17 in Addison at around 11:30 a.m. They reported that Ricardo Luis Medina-Santiago, 35, of Witherbee, N.Y., was driving a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder eastbound when the car traveled off the north side of Route 17 and hit a utility pole. No injuries were reported. Police said neither speed nor impairment were contributing factors in this collision, but snowing and icy road were contributing factors. Police issued Medina-Santiago a written warning.
In other recent activity, VSP:
•  On Dec. 30 at 11:17 p.m. responded to a reported noise disturbance at Whispering Pines Campground in Panton. After investigating, the trooper cited Jordan Rule, 20, of Panton for domestic assault.
•  On Dec. 30 checked out a vandalism complaint at a Crosby Road home in Whiting, where the homeowner said the door and door frame were broken. Initially, she did not find anything missing, but three days later the homeowner reported that she found items missing from her residence as a result of this incident. These items are silver certificates, American currency, Eisenhower silver dollars, silver quarters and dimes, Canadian gold-colored coins and an octagon-shaped silver dollar. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call VSP at 388-4919.
•  On Dec. 31 at 11:44 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle driven by 57-year-old David Woodward of Brandon for speeding on Route 7 in Salisbury. During the stop, Woodward was found to be in possession of more than 1 ounce of marijuana. Police cited Woodward with possession of marijuana.
•  On Jan. 1 at six minutes after midnight stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction on Burpee Road in Bristol. Police said they found the driver, identified as 53-year-old Charles Rockwell of Bristol, was under the influence of intoxicants. Rockwell resisted arrest but police subdued him, transported him to the New Haven state police barracks and cited him for driving under the influence.
•  On Friday, Jan. 3, at 7:57 a.m. responded to a report of milk spilled on Route 22A in Shoreham. The trooper reported that Thomas Miller, 59, of Vergennes backed up the 2011 International truck he was driving and hooked up to a 1997 milk tanker in the parking lot of the Shoreham Service Center. Police said Miller pulled away and drove out of the parking lot and turned left onto Route 22A. As Miller continued south on Route 22A, the milk tanker separated from the truck; the tanker traveled off the west side of the road and rolled over several times spilling its cargo of 57,000 pounds of milk. No injuries resulted from this incident, but the tanker was destroyed. Police reported that the weather was eight degrees below zero with high winds and snow.
•  On Jan. 6 at three minutes past midnight responded to Leicester-Whiting Road in Leicester for a motor vehicle accident. Police ended up citing Bradford Cram, 19, of Leicester for driving under the influence.
•  On Jan. 7 at 1:40 a.m. stopped a car driven by Nemanja Stojanovic, 20, of Middlebury on Route 7 in New Haven for speeding. Police said Stojanovic was traveling at 90 mph in a 50 mph zone as he drove past the New Haven state police barracks. He was cited for excessive speed and subsequently released.