East Montpelier driver crashes, faces DUI charge
Toolbox
Times Argus Staff - Published: November 27, 2009
EAST MONTPELIER – An intoxicated East Montpelier man crashed into the back of a minivan that was stopped for a school bus on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Vermont State Police.
Police say Shayne Cookson, 21, had more than twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system as he drove south on Route 14 in East Montpelier at about 3:15 p.m.
Traffic had stopped for a school bus that was unloading students, police said.
Witnesses told police that Cookson swerved around other vehicles in traffic, went off the west side of the road slightly, came back onto Route 14, and drove into the back of a van being driven by Michelle Broaddus, 28, of Williamstown.
When a state trooper arrived, he could smell intoxicants coming from Cookson and asked him how much he had had to drink, police reported. Cookson replied, "…enough to be drunk," according to police.
Trooper Ray LeBlanc administered field sobriety exercises and took Cookson into custody for allegedly driving under the influence. An evidentiary breath test indicated Cookson was more than twice the legal limit of .08, police said.
The exact cause of the crash is still being investigated, police said, because Cookson said he had no memory of the accident.
Cookson is scheduled to appear in Vermont District Court in Barre on Dec. 10 to answer to the DUI charge.
Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts and no one was injured, said police.
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