A Lowell man faces a charge of drunken driving with death resulting after a crash that killed a woman riding in the side-by-side vehicle he was driving Thursday night, according to Vermont State Police.
Charging documents state that police were notified of the crash at around 10:30 p.m. on Newton Road in Lowell when Randy Lemieux II, 27, was driving a Polaris RZR. The vehicle rolled over as Lemieux was driving, the filings state, and Maddison Hayden, 22, of Woodbury, a passenger, died at the scene.
Lemieux was checked out by Newport Ambulance Service personnel and reported no injuries, police said.
Trooper Logan Miller wrote in an affidavit in support of the criminal charge that when he arrived at the scene, the vehicle was on its side in the roadway with a large pool of blood next to it and drag marks leading to the woods where Hayden’s body was located.
Miller wrote that from following the tracks, it appeared the vehicle skidded and failed to make it around a corner, going into a ditch and rolling over. “Upon looking at the passenger side harness, it did not appear the harness was buckled,” Miller added.
Lemieux, Miller wrote, reported he was driving between 40 and 45 mph when he veered right and the vehicle “kicked” to the left and then flipped on its side.
“I observed Lemieux’s eyes to be glossy and slightly bloodshot, I asked if he consumed any alcohol. He advised he had not,” Miller wrote.
A preliminary breath test revealed Lemieux had a 0.09% blood-alcohol content about 90 minutes after the crash, higher than the 0.08% legal limit for driving in Vermont, the affidavit stated.
“I asked Lemieux if he still wanted to report not consuming alcohol,” Miller wrote in the affidavit, adding that Lemieux then told him he drank three bottles of Twisted Tea, starting at 5 p.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m.
Lemieux was taken to the state police barracks in Derby for processing, the affidavit stated. At the barracks, Miller wrote, Lemieux reported that he was “moderately under the influence of alcohol” while driving the vehicle.
Lemieux told Miller that he was with Hayden after the crash for about 5 minutes, according to Miller’s affidavit. He then left and it took him 5 minutes to get home, Miller wrote, and police were notified for help, putting the time of the crash at about 10:13 p.m., according to the affidavit.
An evidentiary test taken at the barracks revealed Lemieux had a 0.052% blood-alcohol content at 1:24 a.m. Friday, about three hours after the crash.
Lemieux pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of drunken driving with death resulting Friday afternoon in Orleans County Superior criminal court in Newport, according to court records.
Judge Rory Thibault set bail at $10,000. If bail is posted, Lemieux has to abide by several conditions, including that he not buy or drink alcohol.
An attorney for Lemieux could not be reached late Friday afternoon for comment.
The next hearing in the case is set for July 7.
