ADDISON COUNTY — Late last week, Vermont State Police took action against a New Hampshire man who they accused of a hate crime.
On April 23, troopers in the New Haven state police barrack received a report of threatening messages being sent via Facebook by 25-year-old Matthew Howard of Claremont, N.H., to a person in Vermont. Police investigated and determined that Howard sent threatening messages that were maliciously motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived race.
So on May 28 state police faxed a citation to the Claremont (N.H.) Police Department to be issued to Howard ordering him to appear in Addison County Superior Court, criminal division, on Aug. 5 to answer to the charges of disturbing peace by use of telephone or other electronic communications, and of hate-motivated crimes.
In other recent activity, Vermont State Police:
•On May 27 at around quarter to 8 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 near Lime Kiln Road in New Haven. Police report that Sami Hayyat, 43, of Rutland was driving a vehicle that was not equipped with an ignition interlock device, which he is required to have under Vermont law. Police cited Hayyat for driving after suspension or revocation of his license.
•On May 27 at approximately 9:25 p.m. observed a motor vehicle violation on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. The trooper stopped the car and cited Hunter C. Coffey, 26, of Burlington for driving with a criminally suspended license.
•On May 28 at around quarter to 6 p.m. stopped a car for having an expired inspection sticker. During the stop, the trooper saw several signs of alcohol impairment and ran driver John Thresher, 55, of Rochester through a series of tests to ensure he was safe to operate a motor vehicle. Police ended up citing Thresher for driving under the influence and driving with a criminally suspended license. At the conclusion of processing, Thresher was released to a sober person.
•On June 1 at 11:32 a.m. responded to a single-vehicle tractor-trailer crash on Route 7 a little ways north of the state police barracks in New Haven. Troopers found the tractor-trailer over-turned on to its right side, on the front lawn of Pidgeon’s Gun Shop. A portion of the load of “brewers grain” had spilled onto the highway.
Police report that Jeffrey Bronson, 57, of Shoreham was driving the truck and swerved to avoid striking a vehicle that had stopped to make a left turn into New Haven Power Equipment. Upon swerving Bronson’s tractor-trailer left the road and went into the adjacent culvert and overturned.
Bronson was not injured.
The Bristol Rescue Squad, New Haven Volunteer Fire Department and Agency of Transportation personnel responded to the scene. Route 7 was reduced to one lane for less than an hour while the truck was up-righted and roadway cleaned.
This crash investigation remains active. Any witnesses are asked to contact Vermont State Police at 802-388-4919.
•On June 1 at approximately 5:25 p.m. went to a crash involving a motorcycle and a pick-up truck on Route 7 near Hunt Road in New Haven. Police said their initial investigation showed that that Ricky Sumner, 59, of Bridport was driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck northbound and slowed down to turn into the driveway of a local business when a northbound Suzuki GSX motorcycle driven by 47-year-old Michele Nasoni of Montreal attempted to pass on the left after he thought that Sumner was yielding to him.
Nasoni was transported to the Porter Medical Center for suspected minor injuries and as a precaution; Sumner was reported to be uninjured. The Vermont State Police were assisted on scene by members of the New Haven Fire Department, Bristol Rescue Squad and Middlebury Regional EMS.
Anyone who witnessed this motor vehicle crash is asked to contact the New Haven state police barracks at 388-4919.
•On June 1 at around 7 p.m. responded to Lower Notch Road and Carlstrom Road in Bristol for a report of a two-vehicle collision with injuries. Police report that Daryn Barsalou, 23, of Bristol exited a driveway on Lower Notch Road in a 2000 Nissan truck causing a collision wit a 1997 Ford Taurus driven by Marcie Whittemore, 26, of Hinesburg.
Barsalou then ran away, but police found him inside his residence a short distance from the crash scene. He was transported by ambulance to Porter Hospital for treatment of trauma to his head and shoulder. Whittemore was also transported by ambulance to Porter Hospital for treatment of a cut on her knee. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage.
State police cited Barsalou for negligent driving and leaving the scene of an accident, and also ticketed for entering from private roadway-accident resulting, driving a vehicle without a registration or insurance, misuse of a license plate and driving without a seatbelt.
The Vermont State Police was assisted on scene by the Bristol Police Department, Bristol Fire Department, the Bristol Rescue Squad and Middlebury Regional EMS.
•On June 3 at a quarter of an hour past midnight, stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in Middlebury after observing it cross the centerline on Route 7. Troopers said they saw signs of impairment in driver Eric W. Butterfield, 30, of Middlebury, screened him, arrested him  and cited him for driving under the influence. Police also ticketed Butterfield for crossing the centerline, which carries a waiver amount of $220 and 2 points on his insurance.
•On June 3 at approximately 7:30 p.m. responded to a motorcycle crash on Route 7 near Route 22A in Ferrisburgh. Troopers report that John Brace Jr., 25, of Middlebury was driving a 1986 Honda motorcycle southbound when the tires on the vehicle in front of him picked up mud that was left in the roadway and hit Brace’s motorcycle, causing him to fall off the bike and leave the roadway. Brace was not injured, but the motorcycle sustained damage to the handlebar, rear directional and foot pedal.
Police said their investigation showed that the mud was left in the roadway by a vehicle owned by an excavating company. The owner of the company agreed to clear the mud from the roadway. Police said they would ticket the company for not securing the load in its truck.