By Guy Page

For the second time since Friday, a member of the Vermont State Police has crashed his cruiser in a single-car accident. Neither officer was seriously injured.

According to state police, Sergeant Benjamin Katz, 45, of Burlington, was operating a 2017 Ford Explorer — a department-issued vehicle — Tuesday morning, July 8 on I-89 north in Berlin when he hydroplaned during heavy rain and failed to maintain his lane. The crash occurred at approximately 3:28 a.m., while Katz was on duty.

The vehicle sustained significant front-end damage, and Katz, who was wearing a seat belt, was transported to University of Vermont Medical Center with suspected minor injuries.

State police are continuing to investigate the crash.

Trooper crashed Saturday, July 4 in New Haven – a Vermont State Police trooper escaped injury Saturday night after crashing his cruiser while responding to a call for service in Addison County, according to authorities.

As reported by VDC, at 11:30 p.m. on July 5, Vermont State Police received a report of a single-vehicle crash on Vermont Route 17 in the Town of New Haven. The vehicle involved was a fully marked, department-issued State Police cruiser.

Trooper Daniel Arrato, 28, of Randolph, was identified as the driver of the vehicle. Police say he was traveling eastbound on Route 17 when he failed to maintain his lane of travel and veered off the south side of the road. The passenger side of the cruiser struck a telephone pole, causing significant damage to the vehicle.

Trooper Arrato was not injured in the crash. Weather conditions were clear and the blacktop road surface was dry.

The Vermont State Police said the incident remains under investigation. No other vehicles were involved, and no civilians were harmed. It is not yet clear what caused Trooper Arrato to leave the roadway.