ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police are looking into the cause of a house fire last Thursday in an unoccupied Hancock home that was being sold for non-payment of taxes.
On June 13 at around 4:15 p.m. the Hancock and Granville fire departments responded to a structure fire at 1513 Route 125 in Hancock. Upon their arrival firefighters discovered flames coming from the rear of the two-story, single-family home. The fire had spread from the back of the house toward the interior of the home, according to a press release from VSP Det. Sgt. Todd Ambroz of the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit. 
Once the fire was extinguished, the Hancock fire chief contacted the Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit for an origin and cause investigation. An examination of the fire scene determined the fire began on the exterior of the home in an enclosed back porch. The fire spread into the home from the rear, but a quick response by the firefighters kept the blaze contained to one floor of the vacant, unoccupied home. 
The cause of the fire is not known at this time, but does appear to be intentionally set. The house was in the process of being sold by the town of Hancock due to non-payment of taxes, according to Ambroz. 
Anyone with information regarding the fire is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Todd Ambroz at the state police barracks in Williston at 802-878-7111, by email at [email protected] or by contacting the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program by calling 1-800-322-7766. Information leading to the arrest and conviction of an arsonist can be rewarded with a monetary payment up to $5,000.
In other recent activity, Vermont State Police:
•On June 5 at 2:47 p.m. were notified of a possible car crash on Route 100 at the top of the Granville Gulf, just south of Plunkton Road. Granville and Hancock fire departments responded to the scene along with first responders. Upon arrival they discovered an unoccupied a silver 2014 GMC Acadia with a Vermont license plate located in the ditch off the east side of the road. 
Police said evidence at the scene indicated the driver exited the vehicle and may have begun walking in a northerly direction toward the town of Warren. Police in their initial report said they couldn’t locate the driver nor reach the registered owner of the vehicle. A wrecker was called to remove the vehicle. Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call the VSP Royalton Barracks 802-234-9933.
•On June 7 spotted a disabled motor vehicle on the northbound shoulder of on Route 7 in New Haven. Troopers stopped to assist the motorist, and immediately recognized the operator as Alara Bourgeois, 25, of Bristol, who was known to have a suspended driver’s license. Police cited Bourgeois for driving with a criminally suspended license.
•On June 9 at around 8:30 p.m. responded to report of a one-car crash on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. Police said Nathan Redmond, 34, of Panton was driving southbound on Route 7 when his pickup truck left the roadway and collided with a guardrail near Loven Lane. Redmond was not injured, but his 2008 Chevy sustained significant front-end damage.
Investigation into the cause of the crash is on going. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact Vermont State Police at (802) 388-4919.
•On June 9 at around 10 p.m. received a complaint of domestic assault that had taken place over the course of several months by Robert Meacham, 38, of Starksboro. Police alleged that Meacham on June 9 prevented the victim from contacting emergency services over the course of an hour and took the victim’s car keys, making it so that she could not leave. During the early morning hours of June 10 police arrested Meacham and cited him for 1st degree aggravated domestic assault, unlawful restraint, and interference with access to emergency services. Bail was set for $7,500. A full story on this incident appeared in the June 17 Independent.
•On June 10 at 3:47 a.m. alerted the public that Court Street in Middlebury was blocked in the area of Monroe Street because of a house fire. Middlebury firefighters, with help from Cornwall, Salisbury and New Haven firefighters, extinguished the blaze, and state police broadcast a message that the road was fully open at 12:54 p.m.
•On June 12 at shortly after 1 a.m. responded to the area of Lemon Fair Road in Weybridge for a report of a single-vehicle crash. Troopers located a blue 2004 Subaru Legacy with extensive contact damage to the entire vehicle. No driver or passenger was on site. With the assistance of Middlebury police, troopers located the operator at his residence and identified him as Roger Towle, 32, of Middlebury. While speaking with Towle about the collision troopers detected several signs of impairment, so they screened him for driving under the influence and subsequently arrested him, took him to the Vergennes Police Department for processing and cited him for driving under the influence of drugs.
•On June 16 at approximately 12:41 a.m. stopped a vehicle on Route 7 in New Haven after observing a motor vehicle violation. Police ended up citing Nathan Fefee, 21, of Bristol for driving with a criminally suspended license.
•On June 17 at approximately 4 p.m. responded to the intersection of Route 7 and Monkton Road in Ferrisburgh for a two-vehicle collision with injuries.
State police were initially scant on details of the crash, but said that Elaine Viscido, 65, of Vergennes was taken to UVM Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. The crash involved a 2014 Mercedes that Viscido was driving and a 2010 Chevy 3500 pickup truck driven by Orion Chabot, 20, of Vergennes. Chabot was reported to be uninjured, but his truck sustained heavy front-end damage and was considered a total loss.
The exact cause of the collision remains under investigation and anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact Trooper Silva at 802-388-4919. 
•On June 17 at a few minutes before 7 p.m. observed a vehicle traveling southbound on Route 22A in Shoreham. A check of Vermont DMV records showed the registered owner, Brian Ingerson, 55, of Whitehall, N.Y., was actively wanted with an arrest warrant. Troopers stopped the vehicle, confirmed the driver was Ingerson, and arrested him. Police lodged Ingerson at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility with bail set at $1,000.
•On June 17 at 11:05 p.m. stopped a white 2008 Lincoln Navigator on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh and ended up citing David McGregor, 33, of South Burlington for driving with a criminally suspended license.