By VDC staff

A Fayston man was killed Saturday afternoon when he was struck by a vehicle on Mansfield Road, prompting the arrest of the 19-year-old Florida driver on a felony charge.

According to Vermont State Police, the incident occurred at 1:19 p.m. on July 5 near the intersection of Stark Mountain View Road. 

Investigators say a 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser, operated by Noah Kirson of Winter Park, Florida, was traveling toward VT Route 17 when it left the roadway and hit a pedestrian. The victim, identified as 74-year-old Thomas Studley of Fayston, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say Kirson was not wearing a seatbelt and was not injured in the crash. He was taken into custody at the scene and transported to the Berlin Barracks for processing.

Kirson was charged with Grossly Negligent Operation with Death Resulting, a felony under Vermont law. He was lodged at the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility in St. Johnsbury on $10,000 bail.

Weather and road conditions at the time of the crash were reported to be clear and dry.

Transient charged with lewd behavior in front of library, death threats to state troopers – July 6, the Vermont State Police received a complaint about a transient male acting in a lewd and lascivious manner in front of the Varnum Memorial Library on Main Street in Jeffersonville. They located the suspect, Miles Hoisington, 71, a short distance away. Hoisington was also previously issued a notice against trespass for the Varnum Memorial Library property. Hoisington actively resisted troopers attempts to place him under arrest, and threatened the troopers’ lives several times. Ultimately, Hoisington was taken into custody and lodged at Northwest State Correctional Facility for lack of bail.

Suspected retail thief charged as habitual offender – On June 29, St. Johnsbury police responded to Maplefield’s in for a complaint of Trespassing.  Police say surveillance video revealed Megan Metcalfe, 32 of Sheffield had been in the store in violation of a trespass order as well as committed retail theft.  As part of a separate investigation, officers determined that Metcalfe had used a credit/debit card stolen previously and used it to pay for some of the items she removed from the store.  Metcalfe was located at the Bike pavilion on July 2 and taken into custody. She was released on a citation to appear on August 4 to answer the charges of Habitual Offender, Identity theft, Credit card fraud, Retail Theft and Unlawful Trespass.

Drug user sentenced for bomb possession – Tyler Hayes, 43, of Bennington, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for possession of an unregistered bomb and unlawful possession of a bomb while being a drug user.

Hayes was convicted in February following a five-day trial. Evidence presented showed that a rudimentary but potentially destructive bomb was discovered in his abandoned Bennington residence in 2023. Prosecutors said Hayes had spoken about trading a bomb for fentanyl and admitted to being “on the run” after the device was found.

Judge Joseph LaPlante sentenced Hayes to 50 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.