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Vermont State Police Log: Local man cited for DUI on tractor

ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police cited a Shoreham man for driving a tractor while intoxicated after state Fish & Wildlife officials reported seeing a John Deere tractor strike a covered bridge on Swamp Road in Cornwall during the afternoon of Wednesday, June 15.
The game wardens told VSP they stopped the tractor on Route 30 and found the driver to be Denny Pouliot, 40. They suspected Pouliot had been drinking alcohol, according to VSP.
State police soon arrived at the scene and put Pouliot through a series of sobriety exercises. Police said they measured Pouliot’s blood-alcohol content at 0.182 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit for driving (0.08).
Police said they took Pouliot into custody and cited him for driving under the influence, second offense. A check of his license indicated he was also under criminal suspension from a prior DUI, so police also cited him for driving with a criminally suspended license.
Pouliot is scheduled to answer to the charges at the Addison County courthouse on June 27, according to VSP.
In recent activity troopers:
• On June 14 at 11:03 a.m. investigated a reported one-car crash into a house on River Road in the town of New Haven. Police reported that Sarah J. Bolsta, 33 of Middlebury was driving a 2010 Ford Focus westbound on River Road when she lost control of her vehicle. The Ford collided with a utility pole and the western corner of the residence at 2168 River Road, near the intersection of Sargent Cross Road.
Bolsta wasn’t injured, but the car sustained front-end damage.
Bolsta provided a preliminary sample of her breath, but it showed no alcohol in her system. So police took her to the state police barracks in New Haven, where she was evaluated by a drug recognition expert (DRE) and cited for driving under the influence of drugs.
• On June 15 at 4:38 p.m. went to private property off Old Stage Road in Monkton, where Samuel Jessup, 31, of Montpelier had been sitting in a tree as a protest of the Vermont Gas Systems natural gas pipeline, which was being put in the ground nearby.
As reported by the Independent earlier this month, Jessup scaled 60 feet up an evergreen on June 8 and anchored his tree-sit platform to the hydraulic arm of a dynamite blasting rig that is part of ongoing construction for Vermont Gas Systems’ 41-mile pipeline from Colchester to Middlebury and Vergennes. An activist from Rising Tide Vermont, Jessup said he wanted to stop construction of the pipeline because the public’s voice had not been heard on the issue of whether the pipeline should be built.
State police said Jessup voluntarily climbed down from the tree without incident, and then the troopers, who were supported by the Addison County Sheriff’s Department, cited him for unlawful trespass and resisting arrest. Jessup was lodged at the Marble Valley Correctional Facility on $500 bail.
• On June 19 at approximately 12:10 a.m. stopped a motor vehicle driven by Claude E. Spaulding, 67, of Bristol on Route 116 in Bristol for a traffic infraction. Police suspected that Spaulding was impaired, but a preliminary breath sample showed no alcohol in his system. Police took Spaulding into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and evaluated by a DRE at the Vergennes Police Department. Spaulding was cited for DUI-drugs, second offense.
• On June 19 at approximately 11:20 a.m. responded to a report of an assault that occurred on Route 7 in Salisbury. Witnesses told police that 19-year-old Wesley Harpe of Leicester repeatedly struck a 53-year-old Bristol woman in the face and neck area in addition to pushing her several times as if he was trying to push her into oncoming traffic. Harpe was not on scene when police arrived, but troopers eventually found him, took him into custody, and transported him to the New Haven barracks, where they cited Harpe for simple assault.
Meanwhile, Vermont State Police on June 17 hosted its annual presentation of awards and promotions in the House Chamber of the Statehouse in Montpelier.
Vermont State Police Director Col. Matthew Birmingham congratulated those who received promotions and awards for acts of heroism and community service within an organization committed to serving its communities to the best of its abilities.
The Director’s Award was given to Det. Lt. Kraig LaPorte in recognition of his leadership of the Major Crime Unit and FBI Special Agent Christopher Destito in recognition of his partnership, dedication and commitment working with members of the Vermont Drug Task Force.
The Lifesaving Award was given to Trooper Derek Rolandini and K-9 Kovu, Sgt. Cory Lozier, and civilians Beth Howe, Sandra Stevens, Christopher Fanning, Michael Lajoie and Marie Lajoie.
The Division Commander’s Award was given to Det. Lt. Todd Baxter, Det. Sgt. Scott Dunlap, Det. Sgt. Richard Holden, Det. Sgt. John-Paul Schmidt and Det. Sgt. Jacob Zorn in recognition of their determination and hard work on the newly formed Major Crime Unit.

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