Public Safety

Halifax man killed in crash
HALIFAX- A man was killed when his car struck a tree on Route 112 at about 7 pm on Sunday, April 8.  Accordoing to police reports and witnesses, John M. Platek Jr., 47, of Halifax, was driving south on Route 112 when his 2003 Nissan Maxima went off the road and struck a tree with the front passenger side of the car.  Police say evidence at the scene indicated that Platek was not wearing a seatbelt.  Passenger side airbags were deployed.
Platek was pronounced dead at the scene at about 7:21 pm.  Deerfield Valley Rescue, Halifax Fire Department, Vermont State Police, Halifax Highway Department, Covey and Allen Funeral Home, the medical examiner’s office, and A’s Towing assisted at the scene.

Charged with cocaine possession
DOVER- Two men were charged with possession of cocaine following a traffic stop for a defective fog light at about 1:04 am on Sunday, April 8.  Police say they determined the driver, Macolm Lahage, 30, of Marshfield, MA, was under the influence of intoxicants during the stop.  Lahage was arrested and, during a search, was found to have approximately 20 grams of cocaine.  
During a subsequent search of Tyler Stairs, 31, of Scituate, MA, a passenger in the vehicle, police say they found less than a gram of cocaine.  Police also found a small amount of marijuana during a search of a third passenger.   Lahage and Stairs were charged with possession of cocaine, and Lahage was also charged with driving under the influence.  They were cited to appear in Windham Superior Court to answer the charges.

Joint saturation patrol during Minus Zero
DOVER- During the daytime and evening hours of Saturday, April 7, troopers from the Westminster and Rutland barracks along with officers from Winhall, Dover, and Wilmington police departments conducted a saturation patrol in the Mount Snow area. Police say the purpose of the saturation patrol was to focus on speed enforcement, distracted driving, and the detection and apprehension of alcohol- or drug-impaired operators.
During the detail, police conducted over 100 traffic stops, issuing numerous tickets and warnings. Two drivers were arrested for DUI alcohol and three were charged with possession of cocaine and heroin. Two consent searches yielded a civil amount of marijuana, and one consent search yielded approximately 20 grams of cocaine in various forms of packaging. Another consent search yielded cocaine and heroin. Several other drivers were screened for impairment.

Driver charged with DUI
WILMINGTON- While patrolling Route 100 North, a Wilmington police officer saw a vehicle go over the center line and partially into the opposite lane at about 11:53 pm on Sunday, April 8.  The vehicle was stopped and the driver, Laura Eames, of Groton, MA, was screened for operating under the influence of alcohol.  During the investigation, police recovered controlled and regulated drugs from  Eames.  She was arrested and processed at the Wilmington Police Department before being released on a citation to appear in Windham Superior Court  to answer the charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of controlled and regulated drugs.

Two charged after turning without signal
WILMINGTON- Police stopped Joseph J. Greco, 26, of Wolcott, CT, at about 9:32 am on Saturday, April 7, after they observed his vehicle turn onto Coldbrook Road without using a turn signal.  While speaking with  Greco, according to police reports, the officer could smell an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. 
Greco gave consent to search the vehicle, and police found a pill bottle containing Adderall in the possession of Mathew Paradise, 29, of Hamden, CT,  one of the passengers of the vehicle. The controlled substance was not prescribed to him. Paradise was released on a citation to appear at Windham Superior Court to answer the charge of possession of controlled and regulated drugs. He was also issued a ticket for possession of marijuana. Greco was also ticketed for possession of marijuana.  

Slid right off the road
WILMINGTON- Police responded to a report that a car slid off the road near Old Town Road at about 1:24 am on Saturday, April 7.  After speaking to the driver, Nicholas Palmer, 25 of Trumbull, CT, police suspected he was driving while impaired.  Palmer was screened and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.   He was processed and released on a citation to appear in Windham Superior Court to answer the charge.

Charged with DUI and interference with access
TOWNSHEND- Police charged Mark Russ, 55, of Townshend, with driving under the influence and interference with access to emergency services after investigating a 911 report of a disturbance at about 6:43 pm at a house on Deer Valley Road on Sunday, April 1. Russ was ordered to appear in Windham Superior Court to answer the charge.

Violation of conditions
TOWNSHEND- Police responded to a report of a suspicious phone call at about 6:15 pm on Monday, April 9. After their investigation, police arrested Joseph Pasquino, 32, of Townshend, for violating conditions of release ordered by the court on September 11.   Pasquino was fingerprinted and photographed at the Westminster State Police Barracks and issued a citation to appear in Windham Superior Court to answer the charge.  Pasquino was also ordered held at Southern State Correctional Facility until sober.

CORRECTION
Last week we reported that James McGovern, 18, of West Dover, had been charged with driving under the influence of drugs.  McGovern was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.  We regret the error.

 

The Deerfield Valley News

797 VT Route 100 North
Wilmington, VT 05363

Phone: 802-464-3388
Fax: 802-464-7255

Comment Here