COLCHESTER, VT : Durfee injured in I-89 wreck on February, Saturday 10th 2018

The Norwich town manager received multiple injuries, including a collapsed lung, after his car crashed into a Vermont Agency of Transportation dump truck that was spreading road salt on Interstate 89 in Colchester over the weekend, Vermont State Police said.

Colchester Rescue took Herbert Durfee III, 55, of Grand Isle to the UVM Medical Center in Burlington following the crash about 1:12 Saturday morning, state police said. The Colchester Volunteer Fire Department had to extricate Durfee from the wreckage.

Durfee, who served Fair Haven as town manager from 2013 to 2017, also was treated for bruising, and cuts to his face and arms, but was discharged by Saturday afternoon, a hospital spokesman said.

Trooper Vienna Valenti said based on statements police believe alcohol was a contributing factor, but further investigation is needed. No charges had been filed.

Attempts to reach Durfee were unsuccessful.

Valenti said the orange 2012 International plow truck, operated by Cynthia Provost, 41, of Essex Junction, was southbound spreading road salt. Durfee also was southbound in a 2012 Honda Odyssey, which was demolished in the crash, Valenti said.

Preliminary investigation shows Durfee attempted to pass the slow moving truck on the right, police said. They said Durfee’s car struck the passenger side plow wing of the truck. The truck then struck the guardrails on the left side of the highway, police said.

Durfee’s car became lodged in the side of the truck after the collision, police said. There were light snow flurries and the road was wet.

Provost was uninjured and the truck had minor damage, Valenti reported.

Both southbound lanes of I-89 were shut down for about two hours as the investigation was conducted, state police said. Colchester Police helped re-route southbound traffic at exit 17 (Colchester/Milton), which is almost four miles before the crash site.

Williston Police Officer Eric Shepherd, who is a certified truck inspector, was summoned to the scene to examine the salt truck, State Police Sgt. Mike Kamerling said.

Durfee served as community development director for the town of Essex for five years before he was hired in Fair Haven in 2013. He was employed there for four years before moving on last year to Norwich, a Windsor County community of about 3,400 residents. Earlier he did 10 years with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. Durfee also ran his own consulting firm, Norwich officials said when they voted in March 2017 to hire him.

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Durfee injured in I-89 wreck