ADDISON COUNTY — Last week seemed to be the perfect time for young male drivers to crash their cars and hoof it away from the scene before the police arrive; at least that’s what can be gleaned from the recent Vermont State Police reports.
First, on Jan. 10 troopers were notified by an Addison County sheriff’s deputy of a vehicle travelling east on Leicester Whiting Road at an extremely high rate of speed. When the deputy had seen two vehicles racing on Route 30 in Whiting, he activated his emergency blue lights, but only one vehicle pulled over.
Several minutes later troopers were advised that the second vehicle had crashed on Leicester Whiting Road in Leicester.
Upon arrival, troopers found that the registration plates had been removed from the vehicle and the driver had fled the scene. Several witnesses told police that the driver climbed out of the passenger side of the car and fled on foot. The deputy identified the vehicle as the same vehicle that failed to stop. The crash resulted in several hundred dollars in property damage
Police investigated and determined that Christopher Bridgmon, 30, of Leicester was the runaway driver, and the there was a warrant out for his arrest.
The next day, troopers caught up with Bridgmon and took him to the New Haven VSP barracks, where he was cited for driving with a criminally suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident, careless and negligent driving, and false swearing. Bridgmon was subsequently lodged on the warrant at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility for lack of $250 bail.
 But that was the only fleet-footed driver last week. Also on Jan. 10, this time at approximately 7:30 a.m., troopers went to the scene of a one-car crash at the intersection of Route 116 and Ireland Road in Starksboro. The dispatcher advised the trooper that the male driver had departed the crash scene on foot.
Once on the scene, the trooper determined that Asher McCauley, 19, of Starksboro was driving a 2000 Subaru Outback northbound on Route 116 when he lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway on the east shoulder, overcorrected, and ultimately collided with a guardrail on the west shoulder of the roadway.
During the conversation with McCauley, the trooper saw several signs of impairment and took him to the barracks. Police cited McCauley with driving under the influence of drugs, leaving the scene of an accident and unlawful mischief. Anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to contact Vermont State Police at 802-388-4919.
Then there was the case of the Lincoln runner involved in the Huntington crash.
On Jan. 13 at midnight state police responded — with Richmond police, the Huntington Fire Department and Richmond Rescue Squad — to a one-car crash at the intersection of Main and Trapp road in Huntington. By the time emergency responders arrived, the driver had fled the scene on foot. Police found that the 2003 Subaru Legacy had gone off Main Road and collided with several trees and a small pond on the lawn of a residence; it was considered a total loss.
About two hours later, police found the driver, whom they identified as Alexander Goulett, 26, of Lincoln; he was found on Trapp Road with a suspected breath alcohol content of 0.151; the legal limit for driving is 0.08. Goulette was transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Then he was cited for driving under the influence, negligent driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
In other action last week, Vermont State Police:
•  Conducted routine traffic enforcement along the Route 30 in Sudbury during the evening of Jan. 12. At approximately 6:35 p.m. troopers stopped a vehicle on Route 30 near Route 144 for a traffic violation. Police suspected that the driver, identified as 49-year-old Kalli J. Mann of Brandon, was intoxicated; Mann refused to provide a preliminary breath sample. Police took her to the barracks and cited her for DUI.
•  On Jan. 12 at approximately 10:36 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 74 in Shoreham for a traffic infraction. Police allege that the driver, identified as Dominic J. Popp, 23, of Brandon was intoxicated. Popp refused to provide a preliminary breath test roadside, so the trooper took him into custody and transported him to the New Haven state police barracks, where he was processed and cited for driving under the influence.