According to officials, a Hinesburg man is facing a barrage of charges after leading police on a chase through Addison County, while striking a police cruiser in the process of the chase.

The authorities, Vermont State Police, have reported arresting Devon Lewis, a 20-year-old, on three charges of grossly negligent operation, two charges of leaving the scene of an accident and one charge each of simple assault, refusal to take a DUI test, and aggravated assault on a police officer.

The authorities pulled over his pickup truck where Lewis was a passenger at about 8:30 p.m. last Thursday off of Route 116 in Bristol. The vehicle was pulled over after a reported fight at Blaise’s Trailer Park. Others had reported that the passengers of the truck were involved in a fight and the driver had been drinking and driving with a suspended license. When Lewis got out of the truck and tried to take an all terrain vehicle out of the back, Police told him to get back in the truck when he then climbed into the driver’s seat.

Lewis then accelerated the vehicle at very high speeds toward Starksboro, just missing the driver and hitting the front end of the police cruiser, then occupied by a state trooper. With no headlights, he was swerving all over the road and struck another car coming south, then hit a guardrail, which flattened his left rear tire. He drove on for another three miles, using both lanes and narrowly missing more cars before driving off the west side of the road and rolling twice before the vehicle rested on its tires.

After catching Lewis in his attempt to mount the dirt bike stowed in the back of the truck, Lewis was handed over to medical emergency crews. He was taken to Fletcher-Allen Health Care in Burlington for injuries suffered during the crash.

On May 9th, students of Berne Union High School will be dressing up, and posing for pictures to head out to their last “dance” before adulthood.

Senior class member Cassie Wright and other members of the school’s Teen Institute program want to give their classmates advice before this traditional event.

“Don’t drink and drive.”

Their campaign for this message began on Friday when they performed a demonstration of a mock crash on the school’s grounds. The accident scene students created Friday at the high school was a grisly depiction of a prom night with everything gone wrong. Fire trucks, ambulances and a State Highway Patrol vehicle are clustered around two cars that have been involved in a collision.

The scene involved ambulances, fire trucks, and students who pretended to be injured or dead as they were being wheeled away on stretchers.

This demonstration will also be taped and is being produced by the Teen Institute, which is made up of high school students who educate their peers about living substance-free lives. The goal is to show other students the consequences of drinking and driving. The video will be showcased on May 7th.

“We don’t know if it will impact everyone who sees it, but it will put the message out there that this happens and these are the repercussions if a person chooses to drink and drive,” Wright said. “I know people my age drink - and they use prom as an excuse to do so.”

“I’ve personally seen the damage caused by drunk driving and have made too many death notifications to loved ones,” Hurd said. “This is actually a toned down depiction.”

“We chose to portray the teens in the other vehicle where the guy goes through the windshield as teens who were sober, who didn’t drink,” said Lutz, a senior.

The students also plan to do a follow up of a live funeral with complete offins and a pastor delivering a eulogy.

A man is under investigation for suspicion that he was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and fleeing the scene of an accident. This accident resulted in a fiery, fatal crash, which would incriminate him for automobile homicide and four other felonies.

John Featherstone Bishop, Jr., a 35-year-old of Salt Lake City, was allegedly intoxicated around 8:45 p.m. on April 1, as he was speeding eastbound along Interstate 80 near 2400 East in his 2009 BMW. While he was driving he rear-ended a Mercedes-Benz SUV and rolled his car on the road.

According to the charges filed in the 3rd District Court, “Witnesses estimated the speed of the BMW to be over 100 mph, in a construction zone, with a posted speed limit of 55 mph.”

The wreck injured a man and woman in the SUV. One suffered a crushed vertebra and broken vertebrae and the other suffered a concussion, broken ribs and whiplash.

John Bishop was able to climb out of the wrecked BMW. There were five other passengers in his vehicle at the time and four were pulled from the burning wreckage.  The fifth passenger, Jason L. Palmer, a 26-year-old of Salt Lake City, was thrown to the back seat of Bishop’s car and killed. Troopers believe it was because he was not wearing a seat belt.

Immediately after the crash occurred, Bishop fled the scene of the accident and called for a ride to a nearby neighborhood. As he arrived at the Intermountain Medical Center, he was treated for injuries he suffered in an assault. His blood alcohol content also read 0.13, well over the limit. Reports say he had been drinking at a party and club earlier that night. Bishop was allowed to return home, but he later was arrested for violating terms of his probation by drinking and driving.

Bishop was already on probation for another DUI accident in March of 2008 where he pleaded guilty. He was booked into Salt Lake County jail on April 14 in lieu of $250,000 cash-only bail.

According to official reports, two police officers suffered smoke inhalation and minor injuries last night while they were trying to rescue a Beaver Falls man whose car hit a tree and burst into flames.

The crash incident began at about 8:30 p.m. An on duty state trooper was monitoring traffic along Route 51 and spotted Aaron S. Freed driving 92 mph in a 55 mph zone, police said.

After the trooper proceeded to pursue Freed he discovered a 1998 Plymouth Neon engulfed in flames where it had hit a tree near Joe Hall Road in Chippewa. Trooper Thomas Desmond radioed other officers in the area for help before releasing a fire extinguisher to try to put the fire out. Other Officers from Chippewa and South Beaver arrived to help Desmond but they could not get Freed out of the vehicle. They were able to save Freed’s life by containing the flames until the fire authorities and rescue crews arrived on the scene.

Freed was rescued and unconscious at the time when he was extracted from the vehicle. After he was pulled, he was immediately transported by helicopter to UPMC Mercy Hospital where he was noted to be in serious condition with burns and other injuries according to police.

Desmond and Chippewa Officer Richelle Herczak were treated and released from the Medical Center in Beaver for the burns they experience while rescuing the man. They also suffered other injuries involving smoke inhalation damage to their lungs.

Authorities found evidence that Freed was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. He was also charged with fleeing the scene and eluding police, driving with a DUI suspended license, and speeding among other traffic violations.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 9:47 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

During this past week a palm beach county driver was charged with driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. Michelle Ammirato, a 48-year-old of Boynton Beach, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with Driving Under the Influence and for the death of another person via her vehicle, according to local authorities.

As reported by the Palm Beach Post, the accident officially occurred in mid-September. She was driving on South Federal Highway at a high rate of speed when she struck and killed 87-year-old Priscilla Servant. The authorities of Boynoton Beach claim Servant was a pedestrian crossing the road at the 2600 Block when she was struck and killed by Ammirato.

After striking Priscilla she drove her vehicle from the scene of the accident and told the Police that she was aware that she had hit someone. The reckless driver also reported to authorities that the traffic at the time was too heavy for her to stop after the crash. In effect, Priscilla was left to die at the scene of the crash that took her life.

The toxicology report released by Boynton Beach Police Department revealed the Blood tests taken by Ammirato confirmed that she was under the influence of potent cocaine. She was driving her vehicle around 56 mph while the speed limit is 35 mph on the Federal Highway. She was also driving with a suspended license.

According to official records, Ammirato has been cited six times for speeding violations resulting in the suspension of her drivers license at least five times. She was arrested at 9 a.m. on April 13, 2009 at her home on the Southeast 28^th circle. Authorities then proceeded to transport her to the Palm Beach County Jail.

Alexis Abramowicz  will not be attending her prom next Saturday at Lockport East High School. Yet, this unfortunate circumstance is endurable when considering the fact Alexis is lucky to be alive. The seventeen year old survived a head on collision with a drunk driver this past weekend.

The Lockport teen was heading home from work when a 1980 Pontiac Trans Am crossed the center line of Division Street and collided head-on with her Chevrolet Blazer at about 10 p.m. Saturday. The crash caused Alexis’ car to flip onto its roof, trapping her inside. “Alls I remember is driving and the lights coming straight at me in my lane,” said Abramowicz. “I feel like that seatbelt is what saved me from anything going through my windshield.” A passer-by pulled her out of the car. Alexis suffered a broken leg and possible wrist injury from the incident.

The driver of the Trans Am, Dan White, ran from the scene trying to hide in a ditch. Officers soon caught him, where he refused a breathalyzer test . “He wasn’t even concerned about her (Alexis). Alls he was concerned about was his car, not the girl he left for dead,” said Arlene Abramowicz, mother of Alexis.

The Will County state’s attorney reported Dan White has at least three DUI arrests since 2002, the last two happening about a month apart. His current charges include drunken driving, improper lane use and leaving the scene of an injury accident. These charges carry a penalty of up to twelve years in prison.

Currently, Alexis is home from the hospital recovering from the crash. Alexis will be speaking about crash on Tuesday night. She hopes to teach prom goers about drinking and driving through her experience. She says she wants the crash, which appears to be caused by drunk driving, to be a lesson for everyone, including the man responsible for it.

A fundraiser will be held on April 25, 2009 for Summer Moll, a victim of a drunk driving accident this past September.  A driver going the wrong way on the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway smashed head-on into Summer and her mother, Jennifer O’Boyle. O’Boyle died at the scene.  The driver faces charges of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. Five year old Summer was critically injured in the crash, leaving her in critical condition with a fractured skull. She additionally broke both of her forearms, a thigh, a knee and an ankle. Summer has already gone through numerous surgeries, and is scheduled for more this September. These surgeries have resulted in immense medical bills, which are expected to total over three million dollars.

The fundraiser at Woody’s B-B-Q at 203 W. Alexander St. in Plant City hopes to relieve the family of some of these expenses. All proceeds will go directly into a trust fund for Summer. The event consists of a car and bike show from 4 to 8 p.m., oldies music donated by Music Etc., discounted food, door prizes and a 50/50 drawing.

Since the loss of her mother, Summer has been in the temporary custody of her grandparents Art and Tammy Rosian. Although she has begun to recover from the accident pins, scrapes and stitches still cover her body. Additionally, the little girl is now guarded about others touching her. “With all of the pain she has gone through,” Art Rosian said, “I think subconsciously every time someone touches her she thinks they are hurting her.” Summer will soon have to renter Tampa General Hospital for up to three months of intensive rehabilitation.

The inspirational story of Summer Moll’s recovery has greatly affected the local community. This fundraiser is just one of many that have been held to support Summer and her family.

The saddening news of Nick Adenhart’s death greatly saddened the baseball world, as players and fans alike try to understand such a sudden death. Just hours before his life was taken Adenhart had pitched an amazing game.

The fact that this 22 year old man’s life was taken so senselessly by a drunken driver makes this situation even sadder.

Many of us have been personally touched by friends and family that have been affected by drunken driving. Mothers lose sons, husbands lose wives and friends lose friends everyday in the blink of an eye.

His agent, Scott Boras, tearfully recounted the night. “After the game,” Boras said, “he was so elated. It was tremendous fun. A great moment for all of us, seeing a young man takes a huge step.”

Adenhart was driving when his car was struck by 22-year-old Thomas Gallo.  Gallo was driving with a suspended license after a previous drunk driving conviction.

2007 produced 12,998 alcohol-related fatalities on the nation’s highways, which are down from 21,000 in 1982, but even one death caused by drunk driving is too much.

Alcohol blurs decision making processes, which sometimes leads to getting behind the wheel after having too many drinks; however the consequences to this action can be sobering clear after an accident like this. Hangovers can be slept off, but the pain inflicted will never subside.

This accident helps remind us that it is never ok to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after having too much to drink and it is our responsibility to stop others from doing the same.

A single person’s actions can save a life just as easy as they can take one away.

Everyone’s prayers and thoughts go out the Adenharts in their time of grieving after such a senseless loss of life.

After an alleged drunk driving accident where an off duty Chicago Police detective plowed into a disabled care and killed two men, a bond was set for $500,000.   The accident occurred on Friday night on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Authorities said a family member of the victim was taking into custody after the hearing when a disturbance in the hallway spilled into the street.

The detective, Joseph Frugoli, age 41, residing in the Bridgeport area was charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, two counts of reckless homicide, and one count of leaving the scene of an accident.  This information was stated by Sally Daly, the spokeswoman for the Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Frugoli was arrested Friday after his black Lexus struck a red Dodge Intrepid that was disabled in the southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway.

When police officers apprehended Frugoli he was walking away from the scene of the crash.

Efforts were made by a bystander to pull the victims out of the burning vehicle, but the flames proved to be too intense and there was nothing he could do.

Victim Andrew Cazares, 23, of Summit, attended Argo Community High School.  Andrew worked in construction.  His friends say he was a talented skateboarder and graphic artist.

Victim Fausto Manzera, 21, of Chicago attended DePaul University.  Friends say “He was just a wonderful friend. He will be truly missed”.

A statement released by the Chicago Police department stated that Frugoli has been relieved of his police powers.  To accompany his traffic violation investigation the Internal Affairs Division has also launched a probe into his career.

Frugoli has been involved in other wrecks previous to this one. The first of which involved a rear-end collision on the same highway.  The second accident occurred in Bridgeport when Frugoli ran a stop sign and struck a Chicago police car, injuring two officers.

The suspect in two separate DUI accidents that resulted in the death of two women has had a bail set for him of $75,000, his name: Randy Archiquette of 12610 Bramfield Drivein Riverview

Judge Walter Heinrick who resides over the Hillsborough County Circuit Court set the bail during Archiquette first court hearing this morning.

Archiquette is charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter, one charge of vehicular homicide with leaving the scene, and one charge of vehicular homicide.

Investigators hope that they will be able to file more charges after further investigation to see whether Archiquette was involved in any additional crashes.

With that in mind, the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office asked the judge to reconsider bail this morning.

Due to the ensuing investigation Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office asked that Judge Heinrick reconsider his bail during the morning trial.

Prosecutor for the state Barbara Coleman tried to tell Judge Heinrich that there were actually a total of five collisions, but Heinrich cut her off, saying that Coleman should add more charges to the case if indeed there are more charges to add.

The first victim was Betty Williams, 69, of 3917 Suwanee Ave was killed Monday after police stated that Archiquette drove his 2007 Chevrolet Yukon into the rear the victims car at approximately 4pm.  The second victim, Brittany McFarland, 20, of 116 W Curtis St. was hit head-on soon after the first accident occurred.

Authorities say that the second crash resulted in McFarland’s vehicle spinning around into oncoming traffic where it was hit by a tow truck.

According to Andrea Davis, Police spokeswoman, they are currently investigating the possibility that Archiquette was connected to two crashes that occurred earlier.  One accident occurred at 39th Street and Adamo Drive, and the other at 28th Street and Adamo Drive.

Archiquette had a blood alcohol level of 0.147, over the level at which Florida law considers a driver impaired.