On July 23, during a 3-hour time span, the Barre City Police and Fire Departments responded to four separate reports of overdoses, none of which were fatal.
One of the individuals reported smoking what they believed to be crack cocaine prior to overdosing. While fentanyl has been a concern, the drug xylazine, a non-opiate sedative used in veterinary settings, is now being used illicitly and is often being mixed with other drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine.
Xylazine, also known as Tranq, also causes the breakdown of flesh after repeated usage (see photo).
For anyone seeking substance abuse assistance in the Barre City area, a list of resources can be found here.
Grand Isle fatal crash – a 26-year-old Champlain, NY woman died as a result of a crash in Grand Isle County July 23, state police say.
Troopers from the St. Albans Barracks responded to a two-vehicle crash at 6 pm on Rte. 2 in the town of Grand Isle. They found a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with rear-end damage and a 2010 Toyota Yaris with front-end damage.
The driver of the Jeep was Richard Meissner (53) of Clark, NJ, and the operator of the Toyota was Shantel Lafountain (26) of Champlain, NY. Lafountain and Meissner were both transported to UVM Medical Center from the scene of the crash. Lafountain was pronounced deceased at UVM Medical Center.
At the time of the crash, both Meissner and Lafountain were traveling North on US Route 2. Just before the intersection of Pearl Street, Lafountain’s vehicle struck the rear-end of Meissner’s vehicle. Meissner was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, and it is unknown if Lafountain was wearing a seatbelt.
Missing woman found in Maine – a missing woman with ties to Corinth has been located in Maine. Megan Tellier, who was reported missing yesterday, was located in Somerset County, according to Vermont State Police.