STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
PRESS RELEASE
MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH
CASE#: 16A105171
TROOPER:
BARRACKS: Williston
CONTAC#: (802) 878-7111
DATE/TIME: 10/9/2016 2347 Hrs
Highway: Interstate 89 South Mile Marker 80.8
TOWN: Williston
WEATHER: Clear
ROAD CONDITIONS: Dry, Standard Blacktop
VEHICLE #1
OPERATOR: under investigation
AGE:
SEAT BELT:
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE:
VEHICLE #1
VEHICLE YEAR: 2012
VEHICLE MAKE: Toyota
VEHICLE MODEL: Tundra
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #1: Totaled
INJURIES: Non-incapacitating injuries
HOSPITAL: University of Vermont Medical Center
VEHICLE #2
VEHICLE YEAR: 2004
VEHICLE MAKE: Volkswagen
VEHICLE MODEL: Jetta
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #2: Totaled
INJURIES: Fatalities
HOSPITAL: N/A
On Saturday October 8th 2016 at 2343 hours, State Police 911 dispatchers received a report of a wrong way driver on Interstate 89 in the town of Bolton, VT. The caller reported a truck driving northbound in the southbound lane. Multiple additional 911 calls were received from motorist who continued to report the pick-up truck traveling northbound in the southbound lane. Richmond Police, Williston Police and the Vermont State Police responded to attempt to intercept the wrong way driver. At 2352 hours, 911 dispatchers received a call of a motor vehicle crash on Interstate 89 at mile marker 80.8 in the Town of Williston.
The Williston Police Department was the first to arrive on scene, and observed a two vehicle crash with one of the vehicles engulfed in flames in the median. The Williston officer retrieved a fire extinguisher and ran towards the engulfed vehicle. The Williston officer pulled one female victim from the engulfed vehicle toward the side of the road. As the officer was attempting to extinguish the fire, a male, later identified as Steven D. Bourgoin (36), entered the Williston police cruiser and began to drive south at a high rate of speed. The Williston Officer radioed that his cruiser was stolen. A Richmond Police Officer set up at the U-turn at mile marker 77 to intercept the stolen police cruiser. Bourgoin encountered a Richmond police officer and turned around on the interstate. Bourgoin then traveled northbound in the southbound lane back towards the original crash scene at a high rate of speed whereupon he struck seven vehicles. Bourgoin was taken into custody and transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
The primary crash resulted in five (5) fatalities. The deceased victims will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office (OCME) for an autopsy. The identification of the deceased victims is being withheld until positive identifications can be made through the OCME.
There were multiple injuries in the second crash, and those folks were transported to UVM medical Center with non-life threatening injures. The identity of the vehicles and occupants from the second crash will be released at a later date.
This crash is still under investigation and anyone with any information is asked to call the Williston State Police (802) 878-7111.
