A 28-year-old dirt biker’s collision with a chain and a car driving a river led to Vermont’s two latest traffic fatalities of 2023. 

There have been at least 35 crash fatalities on Vermont’s roads in 2023. There were 38 deaths at this point last year. The 10-year average is 23. State police say speeding and distracted driving are partly responsible for the high number of fatalities. 

At 7 pm Wednesday, state police were made aware of a crash involving a dirt-bike off the Quarry Road area, Shaftsbury. State Police were advised other riders were on scene and performing CPR on the operator, who was reported to be unresponsive.

Shaftsbury Fire and Bennington Rescue arrived on scene and began administering lifesaving care to the operator, who was now identified as Ty Kipp, of Bennington. Kipp was declared deceased after life saving measures were unsuccessful.

Investigation determined Kipp and his dirt-bike had struck a chain that was hung across a camp road entrance. This collision resulted in significant injuries to Kipp’s upper torso and neck area. Alcohol and drug use are not suspected to be contributing factors in this collision.

The United Counseling Service via the Vermont State Police Imbedded Mental Health Specialist Program, Shaftsbury Fire Department, and the Bennington Rescue Squad all contributed to the response to the scene.

Car drives into river – At 6 pm on June 18, state police were notified of a crash in the area of Main Rd. and Beane Rd. in Huntington. Investigators say David Santos, 67, of Huntington was traveling north on Main Rd. when his Fiat 500 subcompact crossed the southbound lane of travel and went off the southbound shoulder. 

The car came to final rest in a river. Santos was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Road conditions were dry.