‘Drink to clink’

Local man facing additional charges in second crash

The Granville man accused of causing a rollover accident that sent a vehicle into the Indian River has been arrested in Vermont on multiple charges following another crash.

Devon M. Lewis, 20, of DeKalb Road was arrested April 23 following a high speed chase that began outside of a Bristol, Vt. trailer park and ended with a vehicle crash.

Vermont State Police were called to Blaise’s Trailer Park just after 8:30 p.m. for a report of a fight. Troopers from the New Haven barracks arriving on the scene spotted a red Chevy pickup leaving the area and were told by witnesses and phone callers the occupants were involved in the fight.

The truck was stopped along Route 116 just outside of the trailer park and police found Andrew Leonard, 24, of Hinesburg, Vt., behind the wheel. Leonard was found to be intoxicated and driving with a suspended license.

Police said Leonard and his passenger, Lewis, both got out of the vehicle showing signs of intoxication.

As troopers attempted to interview Leonard, Lewis attempted to remove an ATV from the back of the truck, but was told by police to stop and get back inside the truck. Lewis complied, but slid from the passenger seat into the driver’s seat and speed off in the truck. Lewis narrowly missed Leonard with the pickup as he fled the scene at a high rate of speed, police said, however Lewis did strike the front end of a police cruiser with a trooper inside, causing moderate damage to the car.

Police reported receiving numerous 911 calls as Lewis fled north after the crash along Route 116. The vehicle he was driving was without headlights due to the collision. Lewis reached the town of Starksboro, Vt. while still traveling at a high rate of speed and operating erratically, police said.

Just before 9 p.m. Lewis ran into a southbound vehicle before deflecting into guardrails, which flattened the left rear tire on the truck. The southbound vehicle was damaged, but police reported no injuries to the occupants. 

The truck managed to travel an additional three miles, taking up both lanes of travel police said, nearly colliding with several southbound vehicles before leaving the west side of the road and rolling over.

Troopers arrived at the scene to find Lewis continuing to attempt to flee the scene of the second crash on a dirt bike that had been thrown clear of the wreck.

Police took Lewis into custody and transported him to Fletcher Allen Hospital for treatment of minor injuries suffered in the rollover crash.

Following release from the hospital Lewis was sent to jail.

Police charged Lewis with DUI refusal, aggravated assault on a police officer, three counts of gross negligent operation of a motor vehicle, two counts of leaving the scene of an accident and simple assault for the incident at the trailer park.

The driver of the now totaled pickup, Leonard, was charged with DUI.

Lewis was recently arrested April 16 and charged with first-degree felony reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child after the Washington County Sheriff’s Department completed an investigation into the April 11 crash he reportedly caused.  Lewis was accused of grabbing the steering wheel of the vehicle he was riding in and jerking it away from the driver, leading to the roll over accident. In the crash, each of the five people in the car, including Lewis, received injuries, with one passenger ending up pinned under the car and another suffering fractured vertebrae in her back. Passenger Vincent Garulli of Big Burch Hill Road was pinned under the Acura in the water, but was assisted in remaining above the water’s surface by another passenger, Jenna Boisclair, 14, of Andrews Lane.

Boisclair stayed with Garulli until help could arrive despite numerous serious injuries of her own. The April 11 crash was investigated by Sgt. Nick Speizio and deputies Tim Carroll and Travis Earl.