UPDATED: Wrong-way driver kills five high school students on I-89

(This story was updated Oct. 9 at 4:30 p.m. and again on Oct. 10 at 6 a.m.) Four of the five people who died when their car collided with a truck going the wrong way on I-89 late Saturday were juniors at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury, according to a school official.

Around midnight Saturday the truck speeding from Bolton Flats to Williston crashed into a sedan, killing all five people in the vehicle, according to the Vermont State Police.

The students included Eli Brookens, of Waterbury, Janie Cozzi and Liam Hale, both of Fayston, and Mary Harris and Cyrus Zschau, both of Moretown, said Harwood Co-Principal Amy Rex in a statement. Rex said the fifth student, also a junior, was a member of the Harwood community who attended another school.

Harwood was being opened Sunday afternoon until 4 p.m. for students, employees and other community members, Rex said in the statement, and will be open again Monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

State police said troopers and officers from the Richmond and Williston police tried to intercept the wrong-way driver but did not stop 2012 Toyota Tacoma before it hit the students’ vehicle, causing it to burst into flame.

The Williston Police Department was the first to arrive, and an officer tried to douse the fire with an extinguisher, according to a news release from the state police. The officer pulled a woman from the burning car. As he was putting out the fire and trying to rescue injured people, Steven Bourgoin, 36, allegedly stole the officer’s cruiser and drove south on the interstate at high speed, police reported.

The officer called the Richmond Police Department to intercept Bourgoin on the interstate. Bourgoin turned north on I-89 and sped back toward the crash site in Williston and struck eight vehicles, the release stated.

Bourgoin was taken into custody and also transported to UVM Medical Center where he is in critical condition. Police have not drawn a clear connection between Burgoin and the fatal accident.

The bodies of the deceased were taken to the medical examiner’s office for identification, police said.

Ten people in eight vehicles struck by the police cruiser were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The victims in the second accident include: Alexandra Harris, 23, of Essex, Mary Ryan-Lambert, 29, of Quechee, Katie Lambert, 32, of Atlanta, Michael Plunkett, 27 of Richmond, Christopher Howland, 50, of Richmond, Laura Howland, 48, of Richmond, Arthur George, 47, Waterbury, Hoyt Battey, 63, Montpelier, Elizabeth Battey 62, Montpelier, and Carmel Scaturro, 52, of Long Beach, New York.

The crashes are under investigation.

Harwood Union faculty, staff and coaches will meet Monday afternoon to plan the opening of school and how to best support students, said the statement from Rex.

School officials have been in contact with Washington County Mental Health Services and the Northeastern Family Institute to help provide support, Rex said.

All Harwood athletic contests scheduled for Monday have been canceled, according to a tweet from the account of Harwood’s athletics and activities director, Sue Duprat.

“Support, love from our community is amazing,” said a tweet from Duprat’s @HarwoodAD account. “Not about sports, not about school. These were our kids.”

Rex’s statement called it an unprecedented tragedy. “We have suffered a tremendous loss,” the statement said. “These students were vibrant members of our school community, actively involved and all with a promise for a bright future.”

A candlelight vigil in memory of the five students will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m on the Harwood Union High School soccer field Monday.

Parking will be limited and local authorities will be on-site to facilitate. Please consider carpooling.

Gov. Peter Shumlin will attend the vigil. In a statement, Shumlin said he had reached out to the families “to offer love and support from me and all Vermonters during this unspeakably sad time.”

“The loss of five teens in such a senseless tragedy is unimaginable and heartbreaking,” Shumlin said. “Vermont is a community, and today we join the Harwood Union family, and share the sadness and loss of the families and friends of these teens. My deepest sympathies are with their loved ones.”

VTDigger’s Ruth Hare contributed to this report.

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