On February 15 there was a light rain that glazed over a two-mile section of blacktop on Route 15 in the town of Hardwick near the Walden town line.
At approximately 9:25 a.m., Hardwick Police Department received a report of a van that lost control and hit a snowbank on Route 15. The investigation found that Melanie Kreis of Wolcott was operating a 2016 Chrysler town and Country van westbound on Route 15. As she passed the Walden town line into Hardwick, she lost control of her vehicle on the slippery road surface. The vehicle spun around and hit the snowbank on the eastbound side of the roadway, which caused damage to the passenger side of the vehicle. There were no reported injuries.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., Hardwick Police came upon a tractor-trailer unit off the Route 15 roadway, just west of the Route 16 intersection. The investigation revealed Nausori Osasa, of Grand Isle, was operating a 2020 Peterbuilt truck with 53-foot trailer owned by Farrell Distributing. Osasa was traveling westbound, and was unable to negotiate a left-hand curve in the roadway due to the icy road condition. The vehicle went off the eastbound side of the roadway. There were no reported injuries and minimal damage to the vehicle. The Hardwick Fire Department responded for traffic control. Rick’s towing pulled the tractor-trailer back onto the roadway, and the vehicle was driven away from the scene.
At approximately 9:35 a.m., Hardwick Police came upon a third crash that occurred east of the Route 16 intersection on Roue 15. This crash involved two vehicles that were both traveling westbound. Patrick Cullen, of Bethlehem, N.H., was driving a 2015 Chevy 2500 truck behind Hope McAndrew, of East Hardwick, who was operating a 2011 Subaru Legacy. McAndrew slowed down due to the icy road conditions. Cullen was unable to slow his vehicle and the front of his vehicle collided with the rear of McAndrew’s vehicle. McAndrew’s vehicle had moderate damage to the rear of the vehicle and Cullen’s vehicle had minor damage to the front of his vehicle. There were no reported injuries.
At approximately 9:45 a.m., Hardwick Police received a report of a fourth crash on Route 15 near the Walden town line. The investigation revealed Frank Jerebic, of St. Valentia, Quebec, was traveling eastbound on Route 5 in his 1974 Chevrolet Corvette. Jerebic previously passed through two of the crash scenes. Jerebic lost control of his vehicle on the slippery roadway surface. The vehicle traveled across the westbound lane, through a pull-off and over a steep bank. The vehicle rolled onto its passenger side. There were no reported injuries and damage to the vehicle was moderate.
All of the above crashes occurred within a 20 minute time period. It took about two hours to clear all the vehicles from the roadway.
February 11, 10:09 a.m., police were dispatched to a two-vehicle accident with no injuries in the area of 828 Vt. Rte. 15 W. A 2014 Ram 2500 operated by Justin Pecor, of Hardwick, went left of center and sideswiped a 2018 Toyota Tacoma operated by Robert Coates, of Hardwick. Damage to the driver’s side of both vehicles. Pecor was issued a ticket for failing to maintain lane.
February 15, 5 p.m., School St., E. Hardwick, someone purchased a phone and established an account in Texas using a local resident’s name and other identity information. This case is under investigation with AT&T fraud department.
On February 7, Hardwick Police responded to a report of a disabled vehicle impeding traffic on Route 14S in the Town of Hardwick. Upon arrival, the operator was identified as Logan Ballard, of Woodbury. Ballard’s license was found to be under suspension criminally. On February 16, Hardwick Police responded to a report of an operator passed out behind the wheel on Ball Field Road behind Hardwick Elementary School. Upon arrival, the operator was identified as Logan Ballard, of Woodbury. Ballard’s license was still criminally suspended. Ballard was arrested and transported to the Hardwick Police Department. She was processed and released on a citation to appear in Caledonia Superior Court, Criminal Division on March 27 for two counts of Driving with a Suspended License.
