Old Center Cemetery damaged in suspected DUI crash

February 24, 2021  |  By Emmett Gartner 

A vehicle headed south on Vermont Rt. 100 last Saturday morning veered across the northbound lane and crashed into the fence and gravestones at the Old Center Cemetery. Photo by Jack Carter.

Tracks show where the vehicle just missed a row of historic gravestones but still toppled others. Photo by Jill Chase.

A large headstone rests on its side. Photo by Jill Chase.

The fence at the Old Center Cemetery along Vermont Rt. 100 in Waterbury Center is signficantly damaged from the crash. Photo by Jack Carter.

Detail shows a damaged gravestone. Photo by Jill Chase.

Photo by Jill Chase.

A piece of the vehicle from the accident sits at the scene on the downed section of fence. Photo by Jack Carter.

A better assessment of damage will be made once the snow melts, cemetery commissioners said. Photo by Jack Carter.

A Burlington woman was unhurt but police cited her for Driving Under the Influence after she crashed her vehicle into the Old Center Cemetery along Vermont Route 100 in Waterbury Center, damaging the cemetery fence and a number of gravestones.

Vermont State Police responded to the incident at 3:10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, following the report of a single-vehicle accident near the intersection of Hollow Road and Route 100.

Upon arrival, police determined that a Honda Civic was southbound on Rt. 100 when it crossed the northbound lane and briefly became airborne before landing and plowing into the cemetery fence where it collided with several grave markers. 

Troopers then approached the driver of the vehicle, Morgan Mcavoy, age 24 from Burlington, who was at the scene. Mcavoy identified herself as the operator of the crashed car.

Despite significant damage to her vehicle and the cemetery, Mcavoy was uninjured, according to police.

Mcavoy was taken into custody for suspicion of DUI and transported to the state police barracks in Middlesex, Trooper Jacob Fox wrote in a press release.

While in custody, Mcavoy refused to take a breath test to determine her blood alcohol content or presence of other drugs in her system, leading to a DUI #1 Refusal citation. 

Vermont’s Implied Consent Laws deem that any person who operates a vehicle on a Vermont highway consents to such tests. Drivers that refuse a test immediately have their license suspended for six months. The refusal can also be introduced as evidence in court and used against the accused.

Mcavoy is scheduled to appear in the Washington County Superior Court - Criminal Division on March 10.

On Sunday, members of the Waterbury Cemetery Commission visited the cemetery to inspect the damage. Until the snow melts,  Commissioner Jack Carter said it is difficult to determine the extent of the damage. The fence is clearly smashed and multiple historic gravestones are broken and knocked over, he said. He and Commissioner Jill Chase documented damage with photographs.