Local Men Killed in Vermont Crash
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Jeffrey Lamore, 29, of Stamford and Thomas Peterson, 32, of Readsboro were killed when a tractor-trailer truck crushed their vehicle.
The driver of a second car, Paul Beebe, 53, was air flighted to Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition.
Police had withheld the names of Lamore and Peterson until Thursday afternoon because of difficulty indentifying their remains. Autopsies were performed on Thursday.
Sgt. Michael Marvin of the Vermont State Police said early Thursday morning that the men's families had been contacted on Wednesday.
The victims' car was engulfed in flames after being hit by the tractor-trailer truck at about 1:30 p.m. at the Route 9 bridge spanning City Stream just east of the town offices.
According to police, the tractor-trailer, driven by Kenneth A. Middlebusher, was heading west on Route 9 when his load shifted coming around the turn leading onto the bridge. The truck swerved into the eastbound lane, striking the victims' car, then continued sliding into a second vehicle, trapping its driver inside.
The Lamore and Peterson were declared dead at the scene, according to the Bennington Banner. It reportedly took firefighters more than an hour to remove the driver from the second vehicle.
Middlebusher was able to walk away from the scene.
Middlebusher, 42, of Deptford, N.J., pleaded not guilty in Vermont District Court in Bennington on Thursday afternoon to charges of gross and negligent operation of a motor vehicle resulting in a fatality.
He is being held at Marble Valley Correctional Center in Rutland on $50,000 bail.
The police report, filed by Cpl. Gary Shuhart, said the conditions were dry and clear at the time of the accident. Police are saying speed may also have been a factor. Route 9, also known as the Molly Stark Trail, drops steeply from Woodford Mountain into the valley below. A sign at the top of the mountain warns drivers of the curving descent.
According to WTEN Channel 10 News in Albany, police said the truck tipped over when its 32-ton load of unsecured paper shifted in the trailer as Middlebusher attempted to negotiate the righthand curve onto the bridge. The truck was reportedly traveling 20 mph faster than it should have been.
Witnesses at the scene told the Banner that another motorist had aided Middlebusher getting out of his cab then went back into the cab and grabbed a fire extinguisher to prevent the second car from igniting.
Channel 10 News reported Thursday evening that Middlebusher had told police he was aware his load wasn't properly secured when he left Brattleboro.
The road was closed for several hours while the accident was cleared.
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