Vermont State Police: Alcohol, speed, inattention believed to be factors in fatal crash

Elizabeth Murray
Burlington Free Press

Alcohol, speed and inattention are believed to be factors in a crash that killed one person and seriously injured two others Friday morning in Richmond, Vermont State Police said.

The crash occurred after a truck heading southbound on Interstate 89 around 6:50 a.m. crossed into the median, became airborne and struck another truck heading northbound head-on, police said. The highway between exit 11 in Richmond and exit 10 in Waterbury was closed for several hours, snarling morning commuter traffic. 

Police lights on a Vermont State Police cruiser.

Police identified the driver of the southbound Dodge Ram as Bruce Devenger, 48, of Sheffield. He was brought to the University of Vermont Medical Center after the crash, where he was pronounced dead. Devenger's passenger Michael O'Neil, 72, also of Sheffield, sustained serious injuries and was also brought to the hospital. 

The driver of the other truck, a Ford F-350 Super Duty, was identified as Kendall Roberts, 55, of Barre. Roberts was also seriously injured and brought to the hospital, police said. 

Both trucks were totaled, police said. Investigation into the crash is ongoing. 

Vermont State Police were assisted on scene by Richmond Police Department, Williston Police Department, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement, the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department, Richmond Rescue, Williston Fire Department, Bolton Fire Department, Richmond Fire Department, and University of Vermont Rescue.

While emergency responders were on scene, another car almost caused a crash with a Vermont State Police trooper who was assisting with traffic control. The trooper swerved partially into the median to avoid getting hit by the car, which was traveling fast and failing to move over with the rest of traffic, police said. 

The driver, after being stopped, told the trooper he was distracted by a tow truck that had its lights on. John Legault, 50, of St. Albans was issued a citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington in October on suspicion of careless and negligent driving.

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 802-651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizMurrayBFP.