By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First

ST. ALBANS — The brother of a Fletcher man facing an attempted murder charge this week for critically injuring a Franklin County deputy sheriff is now facing his own criminal charges including aggravated assault and leaving the scene of an accident for an unrelated incident, Vermont State Police said today.

Christopher Seagroves, 35, also is facing charges of gross negligent operation and driving with a suspended license as part of a road rage complaint about 4:30 p.m. Feb. 23 in St. Albans, state police said.

Patrol Sgt. Andrew Underwood said the charges stem from an incident on Interstate 89 in the northbound lane by the exit 20 offramp in St. Albans.

A vehicle was side swiped and forced off the roadway, Underwood said.

The operator of the vehicle that was struck, Brian Hathaway, 40, of Fairfax, suffered minor injuries, and his vehicle was heavily damaged, police said.

Police said initially the suspect vehicle was possibly a dark colored Audi SUV with a roof rack. The wanted vehicle fled the scene after the crash traveling east on Highgate Road toward the Swanton/Highgate area, state police said.

After a thorough investigation, the Vermont State Police identified Seagroves as the operator of the dark-colored Audi SUV, Underwood said.

VSP issued Seagroves a citation through his attorney ordering him into criminal court in St. Albans on June 8.

The Vermont State Police gave a shout out to members of the public who provided information regarding the incident. That information led to the identification and charging of Seagroves, police said.

He is the older brother of Alexander T. Seagroves, 32, of Fletcher who pleaded not guilty on Monday to a variety of criminal charges, including attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault on law enforcement by using a truck to drag and drop a Franklin County deputy sheriff on a road in Fairfax on Friday night.

Alexander Seagroves fled the scene on Main Street (Vermont 104) but was later captured by Vermont State Police, according to Franklin County State’s Attorney Bram Kramichfeld.

The defendant later told police he had been stopped numerous times in the past by law enforcement, but “I lost count after 30 or 40,” court records show. Alexander Seagroves acknowledged he should comply with law enforcement during traffic stops and refrain from resisting, police said in court papers.

Meanwhile Cpl. Jeffery Barriger, 42, of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department remains in critical but stable condition at the intensive care unit at the University of Vermont Medical Center. A spokesman said he sustained serious head, brain and bodily injuries when he landed on the road after being dragged.