ADDISON COUNTY — On the evening of Aug. 29 Vermont State Police joined with Vergennes police and Addison County Sheriff’s deputies to conduct a Labor Day Weekend sobriety checkpoint on Route 22A in Vergennes.
During the operation, police encountered 246 vehicles with 589 occupants. Thirteen people were found to be unbelted. Police tallied eight designated drivers.
Police stopped Morris L. Ellison, 64, of Ferrisburgh and said they found that Ellison was driving while under the influence of alcohol and so cited him for DUI.
In other recent activity, VSP troopers from the New Haven barracks:
•  On Aug. 26 began investigating the theft of a Hummin’ Bird-brand fish finder from a boat that was parked on the north side of a home on North Orwell Road in Orwell. Anyone with 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.
•  On Aug. 26 at 8:13 p.m. responded to a call from Stephen D. Johnson, 54, of Waltham who reported that he was driving on Green Street in Waltham when he collided with a bicyclist on the roadway. Police said Johnson assisted the cyclist, identified as 60-year-old Jerome F. Milks of Waltham. Milks was transported to Porter Hospital for treatment of a broken femur. Police said neither alcohol nor drugs were contributing factors in the incident, which is still under investigation.
•  Are looking into a report of multiple car break-ins at the Lincoln Gap trailhead on Aug. 27 between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Police spoke with the owners of several vehicles parked at the trailhead who were victimized while out hiking. The car windows were smashed using unknown methods. Anyone with information on this crime spree is asked to contact VSP.
•  On Aug. 27 at approximately 8:30 p.m. received a report of missing hikers on Snake Mountain in Addison. State police learned that a 57-year-old father and his 21-year-old daughter had lost the trail they were following and were unable to descend from the mountain that evening. Vermont Fish and Wildlife personnel, VSP Search and Rescue team members and uniformed troopers from the New Haven barracks assisted in the search for the hikers. Two search teams were dispatched and the hikers were located at around 12:40 a.m. All parties exited the mountain by 2 a.m. and the hikers were found to be in good health and did not require medical attention.
•  On Aug. 28 at 9:20 p.m. responded to a one-vehicle crash on Hopkins Road in Panton. Police said a 16-year-old female was driving a red Mazda truck southbound on the road when she lost control of the vehicle due to speed and road conditions. The truck traveled off the west shoulder, collided with a culvert causing the truck to go airborne and overturn. The 16-year-old driver sustained minor injuries and was treated by the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad. Police ticketed her for speeding and driving without a license (she had only a learner’s permit). The truck was considered a total loss.
•  On Aug. 30 at a few minutes past midnight responded to a residence in Starksboro for a reported domestic assault. Police report that Corey Oliver, 30, of Starksboro had bitten a woman and had thrown various household objects at her. Police said the victim attempted to call 911, but Oliver took at least two phones and smashed them so she was unable to contact them. Troopers took Oliver into custody at the residence, cited him for domestic assault and interference with access to emergency services, and lodged him at the Chittenden County Correctional Center for lack of $10,000 bail.
•  On Aug. 31 began investigating a burglary at a home off Shackett Road in Leicester. The homeowner reported that someone had broken in sometime between Aug. 20 and 31 while she was on a business trip and stolen two flat-screen televisions and a laptop computer. Police said the thief may have gained access through a rear window by pushing out a window fan. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact VSP.