ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police issued three drunk driving citations in the past 10 days — two after the alleged drunk drivers were involved in crashes.
The first crash occurred on the evening of Thursday, July 2, in North Ferrisburgh. Troopers responded at 9:20 p.m. to a report of a two-car crash with injuries on Route 7 at the intersection with Stage Road. A 1997 Jeep Wrangler driven by 57-year-old Craig Scott of North Ferrisburgh sustained front end damage in the crash, and a 2004 Nissan 350Z driven by Rejean Gagne III, 26, of South Burlington was damaged on the driver’s side, VSP report. Both vehicles were towed from the scene due to damage.
Gagne sustained minor lacerations, but was not taken to the hospital. Vergennes Area Rescue Squad personnel helped out at the scene.
State police interviewed both drivers. While speaking with Craig Scott the trooper detected an odor of intoxicants, screened him for driving under the influence and took him into custody.
Scott refused a preliminary breath test.
Police cited Scott for DUI and told him to answer the charge in Addison Superior Court, criminal division, on July 20.
The crash is under investigation but it appears alcohol was a contributing factor. The weather was reported to be clear and the road dry.
The second recent crash that resulted in a DUI charge occurred on Monday, July 6, in Bristol, when, again, the weather and road conditions were described as clear and dry. At around 9:19 p.m. that evening a trooper was driving northbound on Monkton Road when he came across a two-car collision with injuries.
After investigating, the trooper reported that 71-year-old Leland T. Cunningham of Monkton was driving a 2014 Toyota Corolla northbound when he lost control of his vehicle and traveled into the southbound lane and collided with a 2007 Toyota Prius driven by Brittany M. Vaughn, 29, of Brooklyn, N.Y. Both vehicles were considered total losses, though no injuries were reported.
Cunningham provided a preliminary sample of his breath and his blood alcohol content measured at 0.087 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08 percent. The trooper took Cunningham to the New Haven state police barracks, processed him, cited him for DUI for careless and negligent driving, and released him with a court date of Aug. 10.
The third recent DUI citation was issued to Christina Cannon on June 30. That evening at a little past 7 p.m. a trooper stopped the 2006 Jeep Wrangler that the Panton 26-year-old was driving southbound on Route 22A in Addison. Police said Cannon performed field sobriety exercises and provided a sample of her breath that showed a blood alcohol content of 0.131 percent. The trooper cited Cannon for DUI; she is due to answer the charge in court on July 20.
In other recent activity, Vermont State Police:
•  On June 24 at 10:40 p.m. took 37-year-old Tara Tower of Monkton into custody at Hollow Road residence in Monkton because she had an active arrest warrant in Rutland County. Tower was transported to the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility where she was held without bail.
•  On June 26 at 2 a.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in Waltham for a traffic infraction and cited the driver, identified as 26-year-old Michelle F. Cousino of Middlebury, for driving with a criminally suspended license.
Over the Fourth of July weekend (July 3-5), Vermont State Police reported one fatality on Vermont roadways (in St. Johnsbury) — the 21st in the state this year.
Over the weekend troopers statewide responded to three impaired-related crashes out of 34 total crashes (three total in Addison County), they made 12 DUI arrests, issued 323 speeding tickets (19 speeding tickets in Addison County), and assisted more than 52 motorists, according to Lt. Garry Scott of the VSP Traffic Operations Unit out of Williston. He said that state police operating out of New Haven also noted two seatbelt violations over the holiday.