[P]olice are investigating the death of a Middlebury man who died following a vehicle pursuit in Addison and Rutland counties early Tuesday. Preliminary investigation indicates the cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a press release from Vermont State Police.
The Middlebury Police Department was alerted Monday at around 3 p.m. that Travis Tester, 30, was making threats against several individuals. Tester’s relatives also asked police to conduct a welfare check on Tester, who was reportedly suicidal, according to the release.
Around 12:55 a.m. Tuesday, police located him near a Middlebury residence. Tester fled the scene in his vehicle, with a pursuit initiated by Vermont State Police troopers from the nearby New Haven Barracks, according to police.
Tester drove south for 15 miles, reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone, police reported. He arrived in Brandon around 1:12 a.m., where members of the Brandon Police Department used spike strips to puncture his vehicle’s tires on U.S. Route 7 near Cattails Restaurant.
The car continued traveling a short distance before crossing the northbound lane and crashing into a tree, the press release noted. Police say they found Tester dead in the driver’s seat, with a handgun nearby.
His body was taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to confirm the cause and manner of death. Police noted the case is not considered suspicious.
