Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305532863 - Vermont Deptartment Of Public Safety

Inspection Information - Office: Vt Department Of Labor - Vosha

Investigation Summary

At approximately 4 p.m. on June 15, 2003, a Vermont State Police Officer stopped a speeding motorist. The motorist then proceeded to flee the scene. A Sergeant located north of where the speeding driver was stopped, was alerted, and the Sergeant proceeded to lay down a spike strip across Interstate 91 near the Norwich exit to stop the fleeing driver. The Sergeant parked his police cruiser in the median of the highway (65 MPH speed limit) near an official u-turn. When the speeding driver arrived at the Sergeant's position, the driver swerved to avoid hitting the spike strip, and drove his vehicle into the median, striking the Sergeant The Sergeant became airborne and traveled 89 feet across the two lane interstate coming to rest beneath a guardrail. He had no signs of life as determined by State Police who arrived at the scene. The Sergeant was taken to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 4:46 p.m. The driver who was operating the fleeing vehicle was apprehended days later in Pennsylvania.

Keywords: HIGHWAY, GUARDRAIL, TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, VEHICLE, SPEEDING, AUTOMOBILE