ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police issued a number of citations for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs recently. Perhaps the most noteworthy occurred this past Sunday when troopers cited two Shoreham men for DUI in the same vehicle.
On Jan. 26 at around 5:53 p.m. troopers responded to a report of a car off Route 22A in Shoreham. A report from Trooper Sean Hauter said that investigation showed that Neil Freeman, 47, and Jason Babcock, 40, had each been in total physical control of the vehicle just prior to the arrival of police.
While speaking with Freeman and Babcock, state police detected signs of impairment, so troopers screened both men, took them into custody, transported them to the New Haven state police barracks for processing and cited them. Police cited Freeman for DUI, third offense, and Babcock for DUI, first offense.
They are due to answer the charges in Addison County Superior Court, Criminal Division.
Among the other DUI cases were the following:
•  On Jan. 21 at a few minutes past 6 p.m. troopers were dispatched to a one-car crash on Route 30 in Cornwall. Police said that Timothy Bushey, 42, of Cornwall was driving southbound on Route 30 and attempted to pass several vehicles near the Middlebury town line when he lost control of his 2015 Chevy Malibu while passing, left the southbound lane, and struck a utility pole guide wire. Bushey was not injured in the incident, but his car was totaled. Police cited Bushey for DUI and negligent driving.
•  On Jan. 23 at 1:09 a.m. Vermont State Police stopped a motor vehicle on Plains Road in Salisbury after observing a violation. After screening driver Annette LaRock, 78, of Salisbury, police cited her for DUI.
•  On Jan. 24 at 10:36 p.m. a trooper saw a violation and stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in Middlebury. Troopers identified the driver as Kayla M. Zeno, 27, of Bridport, and cited Zeno for DUI.
•  On Jan. 26 at 5:27 p.m. Vermont State Police stopped a vehicle on Route 30 in Cornwall. After detecting signs of impairment in driving John J. Wurst, 41, of Weybridge, police cited Wurst for driving under the influence of drugs; it was logged as his second DUI offense.
In other recent activity, troopers:
•  On Jan. 23 at a few minutes before 6 p.m. stopped motor vehicle on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. Police cited Kenneth Clark, 49, of North Ferrisburgh for driving with a criminally suspended license and for violating conditions of release.
•  On Jan. 24 arrested Randy Cameron, 33, of North Ferrisburgh on suspicion of home improvement fraud. The arrest was a culmination of an ongoing investigation started in 2018. VSP Cpl. Justin Busby said a private homeowner complained to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office in November 2018, and the AG’s Office brought state police in on the case.
“Mr. Cameron was a handyman and had his own business, he started several projects at the victim’s house and never completed any of them,” Busby told the Independent. “He took the victim’s money and used it for living expenses instead of building materials.”
The trooper was aware of only one victim at this time.
Police cited Cameron with home improvement fraud; he is due to answer the charge on May 2 in Addison County Superior Court, Criminal Division.