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Vermont State Police Log: Bristol man jailed after leaving a crash scene

ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police jailed a Bristol man on Sunday after he allegedly struck a vehicle and left the scene.
At around 5:26 p.m. state police responded to a reported dispute among citizens on River Road near Munger Street in New Haven. The complainant told the trooper that a man hit her truck with his vehicle and left the scene. Police said their investigation showed that the driver of the vehicle involved was John G. Bennett, 58, of Bristol. He also was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Bennett provided state police with a sample of his breath, which showed a blood alcohol level of 0.048; under the legal limit for driving of 0.08.
Further investigation suggested that Bennett violated his conditions of release. In June Bennett had pleaded innocent to a May 18 charge of driving under the influence, third or subsequent offense, and was released with conditions.
State police on Sunday cited Bennett for DUI-drug testing refusal, failure to stop at a traffic accident, negligent driving and violating conditions of release, and lodged him at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility with bail set at $25,000.
In other recent activity, Vermont State Police:
• On Aug. 11 at 7:22 p.m. responded to a home on Lincoln Road in Ripton for a reported burglary. After investigating, troopers arrested 25-year-old Travis Huestis of Middlebury and cited him for burglary and unlawful trespass.
• On Aug. 12 at around 4:40 a.m. responded to a report that a motor vehicle had struck a utility pole off Route 7 in Ferrisburgh near the new McDonald’s restaurant. Police report that a 46-year-old Middlebury man was driving a Kia southbound when he fell asleep, traveled off the west shoulder and struck the pole. The driver suffered a shoulder injury and was taken to UVM Medical Center. The car sustained front-end damage. Route 7 was closed until around 6 a.m. while Green Mountain Power removed the wires and restored electricity service.
• On Aug. 13 at just before 8 a.m. responded to a two-car crash at Addison Four Corners. Tiffany Audet, 22, of Addison told police that she was driving a 2012 Toyota Corolla northbound on Route 22A, and as she approached the intersection with Route 17 a vehicle cut out in front of her and their vehicles collided. Elisa Martin, 54, of Prospect, Ky., was driving a 2011 Subaru Legacy Ltd. She told police that she was stopped at the intersection; she believed the intersection to be a four-way stop and it appeared that Audet’s Corolla was slowing to make a turn. Martin proceeded into the intersection westbound on Route 17 and the collision ensued. State police do not believe alcohol or drugs played a factor in the collision. Minor injuries were sustained as a result of the collision, Martin was taken to Porter Hospital. Both vehicles sustained major damage.
• On Aug. 13 at 11:45 p.m. went to a one-car crash on Lake Street in Addison. Troopers report that a 2011 Toyota Tacoma driven by 33-year-old Matthew Moore of Putnam Station, N.Y., went off Lake Street at Goodrich Corners Road and struck a cluster of trees. Police tested Moore for alcohol consumption and said a preliminary breath test showed a blood alcohol content of 0.199 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08. Police cited Moore for driving under the influence of alcohol.
• On Aug. 14 at 6:10 p.m. received multiple 911 calls about a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 89 northbound near Exit 13 in South Burlington. State police determined the crash occurred when a 2006 Chevy Cobalt driven by 18-year-old April Shepard of Bristol was traveling southbound on I-89 and attempted to change lanes in an effort to pass another vehicle. Police said Shepard failed to see a 2001 VW driven by 19-year-old Cole Heyman of Burlington in the left travel lane and collided with it.
The force of this collision caused Shepard to lose control of her vehicle, cross the center median and travel up into northbound lanes. Shepard’s Cobalt came to rest in the left lane on the northbound side of the highway where it blocked oncoming traffic. Heyman was able to maintain control of his vehicle and brought his VW to a controlled stop on the southbound side of the interstate adjacent to the median. No other crashes were reported.
No injuries were reported. No court action was expected.
Due to positioning of the vehicles involved, emergency responders reduced Interstate 89 northbound and southbound (near Exit 13) to one lane of travel each way while crews worked to remove vehicles and debris from the roadway. This reduction caused isolated traffic delays in the area.
• On Aug. 15 at approximately 1:05 a.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh for a traffic infraction. A preliminary roadside breath test showed that the driver, identified as 23-year-old Kyle T. Hamblin of Weybridge, had a blood alcohol content of  0.164 percent. Police cited Hamblin for DUI, driving on a criminally suspended license and violation of conditions of release.
• On Aug. 15 at 10:16 a.m. responded to a report that a car had struck a tree off Mountain Road in Bridport. The 16-year-old driver told police that she had swerved to avoid wildlife, and the westbound vehicle then traveled off the north shoulder and hit the tree. The driver suffered a hip injury as a result of the collision.
• On Aug. 15 at 8:45 p.m. were notified of a reported family fight on West Shore Road in Salisbury. After investigating, state police alleged that 19-year-old Joseph P. Pelkey Jr. of Bristol physically assaulted the victim in view of a child. Police cited Pelkey for domestic assault within the presence of a child.
• On Aug. 16 received a 911 call about a vehicle driving erratically and at 6:52 p.m. stopped a vehicle driven on Liberty Street in Bristol by Marlene Carr, 63, of Bridport after observing a traffic violation. State police screened Carr and found her exhibiting signs of impairment. They took her into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, had a Drug Recognition Expert screen her and found Carr to be impaired. The trooper cited Carr for DUI-drugs.
• On Aug. 16 at 10:46 p.m. stopped a vehicle driven by Douglas Smith, 52, of Ripton on School House Hill Road in Middlebury after observing a traffic violation. The trooper detected an odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle and administered a roadside breath test, which showed that Smith’s blood alcohol content was 0.200 percent. Police cited Smith for DUI, fourth offense, and driving with a criminally suspended license.
• On Aug. 17 at 4:24 p.m. responded to a report that an East Hardwick man was dead in a parachuting tragedy in West Addison. Joseph G. Crossley, 68, was dead when police arrived on the scene off Route 17. Although his chute appeared to deploy normally, witnesses told police that he began to spiral and crash landed. Police said Crossley may have suffered a medical episode while in his descent. Police are investigating and ask anyone who saw the tragic accident or who have relevant information to contact troopers at 802-773-9101. See a full story in the A section of today’s edition.
• On Aug. 18 continued their investigation into the disappearance of 24-year-old Denise Hart, who was last seen leaving the home of a friend in Sudbury on Jan. 25. State police divers on Tuesday searched Otter Creek near the covered bridge on Swamp Road/Creek Road that connects Cornwall and Salisbury. See a full story in the A section of today’s edition.

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