By Lisa Loomis
Vinny Viola, a 16-year-old Harwood Union and Central Vermont Career Center student, died Sept. 22 from injuries sustained in a weekend crash on Route 100 south of Warren Village.
Viola’s family and Harwood Unified Union School District superintendent Mike Leichliter shared the information in an email to families and community members on Tuesday.
Viola was an 11th-grader and junior at Harwood and the career center in Barre.
“This is a profound loss for Vinny’s family, friends, classmates, teachers, and our entire community,” Leichliter said via email, adding that Harwood and CVCC shared the news with students this afternoon.
“We ask everyone to respect Vinny and his family by avoiding rumors and speculation, particularly on social media. Please be gentle with one another and attentive to anyone who may be struggling with this information,” he added.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Friends and family have created a GoFundMe page to help Viola’s family in the aftermath. That link is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-vinnys-family-through-this-tragic-time
The Harwood Wellness Center and school counseling office are available to students who need time, space, or an opportunity to speak privately with an adult. The district has also arranged additional support for the remainder of the week through community agencies, including Washington County Mental Health Services,
According to the Vermont State Police, the crash occurred at about 12:53 p.m. Sept. 19 on Route 100 in Warren. Trooper Ryan Normile said the Viola was traveling south when his 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan left the roadway on the southbound side. Normile reported that Viola was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
RT 100 CLOSED
The vehicle continued approximately 300 feet off the roadway and overturned before coming to rest. Viola was life-flighted to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for treatment.
Route 100 was closed for approximately two hours while state police investigated the crash. The investigation remains ongoing.
State police were assisted at the scene by numerous first-responder agencies.
Funeral services for Viola are planned for Saturday, Sept. 26 at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church on Route 100 in Waitsfield at 11:00 a.m. Viola’s obituary appears on Page 10 of this week’s paper.
