By Guy Page
Two separate incidents claimed the lives of two Vermonters Thursday night and Wednesday, while Vermont State Police also announced arrests in a child sexual assault, trespassing at a power facility, and a jackknifed truck on I-89 slowing traffic early this morning.
A 22-year-old Woodbury woman was killed in a side-by-side rollover crash Thursday night in Lowell that resulted in the driver being charged with DUI with death resulting.
Vermont State Police said the crash occurred at about 10:23 PM on June 25 on Newton Road near Cheney Road. Responders found a 2021 Polaris RZR overturned in the roadway.
The passenger, Maddison Hayden, 22, of Woodbury, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the operator, Randy Lemieux II, 27, of Lowell, was not injured. Troopers observed signs of impairment during their investigation, and Lemieux was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was charged with DUI with death resulting, lodged at the Northern State Correctional Facility on $10,000 bail, and was scheduled to appear Friday afternoon in Orleans Criminal Court.
Investigators believe speed also was a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.
Missing man found dead – In a separate case, Vermont State Police confirmed that Thomas Taylor Jr., 36, of Corinth, who had been reported missing on Wednesday June 24, was found dead in Orford, New Hampshire.
Taylor had last been seen on the afternoon of June 23 at a residence on Chelsea Road in Corinth. His death is not considered suspicious. New Hampshire officials reported his body was found unattended.
Sex-for-alcohol with minor yields rape charge – In Caledonia County, a Norton man accused of providing alcohol to a 15-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her multiple times is being held without bail, the Caledonian-Record reports.
James Demore, 56, faces nine criminal charges, including seven felonies, stemming from allegations that he gave the girl Twisted Tea, showed her pornography, and sexually assaulted her during visits to his home in July and August 2025. Demore reportedly told the girl that having provided the alcohol, she needed to “do something for him.”
According to court documents, the investigation began after the girl left a note for her father describing the alleged abuse. She later disclosed additional information during an interview at the Coos County, New Hampshire Child Advocacy Center. Demore was arraigned Thursday in Caledonia County Superior Court by video from the Northeast Correctional Complex, where he remains jailed.
Trespass at Vernon hydro project – Also Thursday night, Vermont State Police cited Lee M. Griffin, 44, of Vernon, for unlawful trespass after investigators said he entered the Vernon Hydroelectric Project on Governor Hunt Road without permission. Griffin was issued a citation to appear in Windham Criminal Division on Aug. 25. The dam, built in 1909, is owned by Great Hydro and is currently seeking relicensing.
Jacknifed truck on I-89 – Motorists also experienced significant delays Friday morning on Interstate 89 southbound near Exit 8 in Montpelier after a tractor-trailer jackknifed and blocked both travel lanes near mile marker 54. State police said only passenger vehicles could squeeze through the scene, while larger commercial vehicles were advised to exit at Exit 9 and use an alternate route. The highway disruption was expected to last several hours.