ADDISON COUNTY — A Vergennes man died during the evening of Tuesday, June 2, after driving a vehicle off Route 7 in Ferrisburgh, according to Vermont State Police.
Authorities identified the deceased as Dana S. Phillips, 55.
It was at around 8:40 p.m. that VSP responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash, with injuries, at 5371 Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. State police and Vergennes police officers responded to the scene along with Ferrisburgh and Vergennes fire and rescue officials. Shortly after arriving, emergency responders pronounced Phillips deceased. Joseph Mischik, 37, a passenger in the vehicle, was taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center for treatment of a minor leg injury, according to police.
Authorities said Phillips was driving a 2003 Chevy Impala northbound on Route 7 when it traveled off the roadway and struck several culverts before coming to rest.
This case is still under investigation and no criminal charges are pending at this time, according to police.
According to Vergennes city officials, Phillips had recently worked as a taxi driver in Vergennes.
Police also identified Phillips as the clerk at the Vergennes Champlain Farms store who in September 2011 restrained a robber wielding a large knife, and the robber died.
After wrapping up their investigation in early 2012, police and State’s Attorney David Fenster said that on that September morning an intoxicated woman threatened Phillips with a knife, he grabbed it by the blade and wrestled it away from her before pinning her to the ground until a customer came in and called police. Before police arrived, the woman appeared to pass out, and police found her unresponsive. Fenster ruled that Phillips had been justified in his actions because he was acting in self-defense.
In other recent activity, state police:
• On June 2 at approximately 1:56 p.m. responded to a report of a truck collision on Route 7 in Leicester. Robert Stocker, 35, of Florence was transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. His vehicle, a six-axle Casella tractor-trailer, sustained minimal damage to the front end and one flat tire.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash. Route 7 was temporarily closed.
• On Jun. 3 at 5:16 a.m. responded to a report of a single vehicle rollover on Hinesburg Hollow Road in Starksboro. Jonathon Riggs, 23, of Huntington told police that he was driving a 2003 Subaru Legacy when two deer ran across the road, he swerved to avoid them and, in doing so, his vehicle flipped. The Legacy sustained moderate exterior damage; the driver was not injured. Police do not suspect drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision.
• On June 5 at 9:08 p.m. responded to an ongoing domestic incident at a residence on Leland Road in Salisbury. Police ended up citing Amy Forbes, 20, of Salisbury for domestic assault. Police also cited 24-year-old Benjamin W. Emmons of Salisbury for unlawful mischief because, they said, he had punctured a tire on Forbes’s vehicle with a knife.
• On June 5 at 10:58 a.m. went to the intersection of Route 7 and Fern Lake Road in Leicester for a three-vehicle collision. Police reported that a northbound Casella’s tractor-trailer driven by Robert Wait, 68, of Rutland was struck in the third axle by a southbound Ford van driven by Michael Lepore-Capek, 28, of New Haven. Lepore-Capek’s vehicle then spun into another vehicle driven by Jesse Keith, 29, of Castleton. No one was injured but all three vehicles sustained significant damage, and Lepore-Capek’s was judged to be a total loss.
Police cited Lepore-Capek for driving with a suspended license. and they continue to investigate why Lepore-Capek traveled left of center and struck the trailer unit.
Whiting Rescue, Brandon Fire Department and a team from Casella’s responded to the scene
• On June 6 at around 1:49 a.m. stopped a motor vehicle driven by Chad Badore, 42, of Vergennes on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. A Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) roadside showed that Badore’s blood alcohol content was 0.143 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08 percent. Police cited Badore for driving under the influence.
• On June 6 at approximately 9:22 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle driven by Charlotte Deering, 54, of Middlebury. Police said Deering’s blood alcohol content tested at 0.181 percent, and troopers cited her for driving under the influence.
• On June 8 were called to investigate a burglary at a business on Griswold Lane in Orwell. Items reported taken from the business included tools and loose change. Police reported that the burglar gained entry through the front door between June 3 and June 6. 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.