A St. Albans man is facing charges after he displayed a loaded handgun at a state trooper while driving on Interstate 89 in Georgia May 24.

Dyllon M. Camley, 29, of St. Albans, was cited to appear at 8:30 a.m. June 20 in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans to answer charges of reckless endangerment and careless & negligent operation.

Detective Trooper Michael Mattuchio was southbound on the interstate at 7:20 AM in an unmarked VSP Jeep Cherokee when he saw a vehicle ahead of him traveling well in excess of the posted 65 mph speed limit. 

The on-duty trooper accelerated and caught up with the vehicle, a black 2006 Mercedes station wagon, which the detective paced at 100 mph in the passing lane on I-89. The station wagon abruptly pulled into the travel lane, and as Detective Mattuchio pulled even with the Mercedes, its operator, later identified as Camley, displayed a handgun.

Detective Mattuchio pulled behind the station wagon, activated his blue lights and initiated a high-risk traffic stop. Camley was compliant and cooperative. Detective Mattuchio located and seized from inside Camley’s vehicle a loaded handgun that had a round in the chamber. Camley received a citation on the above charges and was released from the traffic stop.

Catalytic converter thefts continue – on the night of May 21, Darren Lahaye, 54, of Topsham had several vehicles parked at his shop with the catalytic converters cut off. Lahaye said his neighbor told him a dark colored truck pulled into his yard late Saturday night. 

“Unfortunately, this is happening more and more, and without help from the public these thefts will continue,” state police said. Anyone with any information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Trooper Haley of the St Johnsbury Barracks at 802-222-4680.

Alleged drunk driver not cause of fatal two-car crash – It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes the drunk driver with the suspended license didn’t cause the two-car crash with death resulting. But according to Vermont State Police reports, that appears to have happened Monday evening, May 23 on I-89 in Georgia. 

At 6:13 PM, Vermont State Police responded to a report of a two-vehicle fatal crash on I-89 North in Georgia. Michael Spear, 52, of Georgia was driving a Pontiac Vibe with a suspended license north on I-89 in the passing lane. Lindsay Benoit, 66, of Highgate was driving a 2015 Ford Mustang north in the passing lane behind Spear. As she came upon Spear’s car, she began to drift over the rumble strip and side swiped him, police said. 

Both vehicles drifted off the west side of I-89 N and entered the median. The driver’s side of Benoit’s car crashed into a tree, overturned and came to an uncontrolled position of rest on its roof facing south. Spear’s car came to a controlled position of rest facing north near Benoit’s car. Benoit died as a result of the accident, police said. 

Troopers suspected Spear may have been under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and processed for DUI and Driving with a suspended license. He was cited to appear in court.