HIGHGATE — A Windsor County man, who authorities say killed his mother while driving under the influence of drugs in 2017, was arrested again on Saturday on a felony charge of DUI — drugs, third offense, after crashing into a Highgate motel.

Vermont State Police said they lodged Joseph Mailhoit, 49, of Rochester at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans for lack of $5,000 bail.  He is facing charges of DUI third offense and driving while his license was under suspension, police said.

The latest DUI arrest came in Franklin County when Vermont State Police said they were called about 11:49 a.m. Saturday to the Europa Motel on U.S. 7 in Highgate near the Swanton line for a report of a vehicle that hit the business.

State Trooper Adam Lippa reported that the investigation revealed the driver, later identified as Mailhoit, appeared to be under the influence of drugs and his license was suspended.  

Mailhoit was jailed and told he would be arraigned in Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans on Monday afternoon, police said.

The Highgate Volunteer Fire Department responded to assess damage to the building and determined there was not significant structural issues, Lippa said.

The Rutland Herald reported in July 2019 that Mailhoit was sentenced to serve 1-to-5 years in prison after pleading guilty in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland to operating under the influence with death resulting for his mother during a single-vehicle crash in Killington in October 2017. 

He crashed his northbound 2007 Toyota Tacoma pickup off Vermont 100 and struck six trees, including five on the passenger side, Killington Police said.  They said his mother, Delta Coltey Mailhoit, later died from head and chest injuries at the Rutland Regional Medical Center shortly after the 12:25 p.m. crash.

Mailhoit admitted that he had taken a variety of legal and illegal drugs, including 5 milligrams of oxycodone, a “matchhead” of heroin, along with unspecified amounts of marijuana, Robitussin, Aleve and penicillin before the crash near the Green Mountain National Golf Course, news accounts show. 

The Vermont State Police Crash Reconstruction team said it determined Mailhoit’s vehicle went off the road and continued 152 feet before it stopped while never braking.

Mailhoit claimed he had not slept for three days and had mononucleosis and strep throat, police said.  Mailhoit was taken to the Rutland Police Station where Cpl. Adam Lucia, a certified drug recognition expert, examined him and later had a blood sample taken at the hospital.

Mailhoit said that he had sustained a knee injury and was prescribed opiates.  He said he later turned to illegal painkillers, the Herald reported.

Sentencing Judge Thomas Zonay saluted Mailhoit at the time for getting clean, especially after losing his father, his brother and having his house destroyed by fire in the two years between the crash and the sentencing, the newspaper reported.

Mailhoit sustained another DUI arrest on March 21, 2024 when Vermont State Police said they responded to another motor vehicle crash on Vermont 100 in Killington.  He was driving a 2018 GMC truck during the 1:30 a.m. crash with minor damage, police said.  The outcome of that case was unknown Saturday.