State police December update
Help sought in forgery case; charges in Main Street crash; phone scam warning and more
Jan. 3, 2022 | By Waterbury Roundabout Here are summaries of various reports from the Vermont State Police in the past several weeks.
Police seek the public’s help in forgery case
State police released these images of the suspect in a forgery case at VSECU in Waterbury last month. Click to enlarge. State police photos
Vermont State Police recently released information regarding a suspect in a forgery case that occurred in Waterbury in late November.
In a press release on Dec. 22, Trooper Tylor Rancourt recounted an incident from Nov. 22 at the Vermont State Employees Credit Union.
Police were alerted that a man tried to cash a counterfeit check at the VSECU branch on South Main Street. The credit union provided surveillance video and state police have released two images from that footage of the suspect.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact Rancourt at the Berlin barracks at 802-229-9191.
Phone scam warning
Vermont State Police last week issued a bulletin warning the public to be alert not to fall for a phone scam that mentions the state police.
“Neither the state police, nor the Vermont Troopers Association solicit money via telephone calls, text messages, emails, or by any other means,” said Lt. Robert McKenna in a news release. “If you are contacted by someone claiming to represent either the Vermont State Police or the Vermont Troopers Association, and that person is asking for a donation, please do not give them any money or any financial or personal information. These communications are not legitimate and are part of a phone scam.”
Anyone who does receive such a call and can identify the number it came from should report it to their local state police barracks or municipal police department, McKenna said.
Contact the Berlin state police barracks at 802-229-9191.
Police investigate Rt. 100 crash involving a skid steer
State police are investigating a late-night crash on Route 100 in Waterbury Center recently that involved a skid steer vehicle.
The incident happened on Dec. 15 just after 11 p.m. near the intersection with Russell Road, according to a state police news release.
Trooper Tylor Rancourt described the crash as happening when a 2015 Subary Forester driven by Myria McNally, 30, of Waterbury rear-ended a skid steer. The equipment operator was Anthony Couillard, 32, of Burlington.
Police said they also determined that McNally, who was wearing a seat belt, was under the influence. McNally was first transported to Central Vermont Medical Center and treated for injuries before being cited to appear in state court in February to answer to a Driving Under the Influence charge.
Police said Couillard was uninjured; McNally’s vehicle was totaled in the crash and the skid steer received minor damage. Weather and road conditions were clear and dry, police said.
Moretown man claims ‘road rage’ led to crash in Waterbury
A Moretown man recently pleaded not guilty in Washington County Superior Court in Barre to multiple charges stemming from a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of River Road and South Main Street in Waterbury last month.
Jacob Durand, 25, of Moretown, is facing a felony charge of aggravated assault and several misdemeanor charges from the incident on the night of Dec. 14 where police say he intentionally drove into another man’s vehicle following an argument.
The other driver, Jason Russell, 50, of Waterbury, received minor injuries following the crash and also was cited into court for driving with a suspended license, according to state police.
In an affidavit filed with the court, State Police Sgt. William Warner stated that Durand attributed the incident to “road rage.”
The Times Argus reported on the Dec.16 court hearing in the case.
Waterbury motorists crash in Richmond
Two Waterbury drivers were involved in a two-vehicle crash in Richmond recently.
The crash happened on Dec. 14 on East Main Street near Donkey Lane at 5:30 p.m., according to Trooper Omar Bulle with the Vermont State Police.
Both vehicles were traveling east on Main Street when a Chevrolet pickup driven by Travis Valway, 32, of Waterbury rear-ended a Ford utility vehicle driven by Lisa Lafreiere, 62, also of Waterbury. The collision caused Valway to lose control and go off the roadway, police said.
The weather conditions were clear and dry. Valway was not wearing a seatbelt; Lafreiere was wearing a seatbelt, Bulle noted in the report, and both drivers were transported to UVM Medical Center to be checked out..
The crash is under investigation.
Police identify fugitive in Waterbury
State police recently located a fugitive from justice in Waterbury.
Trooper Benjamin Goodwin reported in a police press release that on Nov. 30 while interviewing Kiara Lewis, age 30, on South Main Street, she refused to provide her full name and any address.
“Subsequent investigation determined that Lewis was wanted out of the state of Maine on an extraditable warrant,” Goodwin wrote.
Lewis was transported to the Berlin barracks, issued a citation to appear in state court and lodged at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility.