Unseasonably late snowfall has led to a series of accidents – including a rollover of an Agency of Transportation snowplow on I-91 in Barnet.

Shortly after 8 am Thursday, April 22, Vermont State Police along with Agency of Transportation (AOT) responded to a AOT Plow Truck rollover on Interstate 91 S in Barnet.

Investigation revealed the operator Charles Lakin (62) was plowing the edges of the interstate and got off the edge to the roadway into a muddy area which pulled the plow truck further off the road. The plow truck was loaded with salt and sunk in the mud, causing the truck to roll to its passenger side.

Interstate 91 South was temporarily shut down for a short time while Lyndon Truck Center pulled the plow truck back onto its wheels. The operator reported no injuries and the plow truck sustain minimal damage.

Just three days after re-opening Rte. 108 through Smugglers Notch, the Agency of Transportation Thursday closed it again due to due to six inches of snow. “With 6+ inches of snow already accumulated and more coming down, it will likely be several days before the Notch is reopened,” AOT reported. “We’ll be sure to notify the public when it does.”

Other storm-related traffic problems:

Wednesday night, as the snow was falling in earnest, a tractor-trailer jackknifed between exits six (Barre South) and five (Northfield). Social media reports say the traffic “was backed up a long ways” with plowtrucks stuck along with commuter traffic.

State police reported a tractor-trailer rollover around 8 am Thursday in Derby.

An accident closed Rte. 7 traffic in Rutland for several hours Thursday morning.

At about 1 pm Thursday, Vermont State Police responded to a single motor vehicle crash on Interstate 89 at mile marker 68 in Bolton. A white 2018 Ford Transit van carrying 14 passengers was traveling northbound when the vehicle lost control due to icy road conditions. The vehicle traveled into the median of the interstate and overturned in the southbound lanes. The southbound lanes of the interstate were shut down for approximately an hour and a half. None of the injuries sustained at the crash were believed to be life threatening.

Wednesday night, a three-car collision left one car engulfed in flames on I-89 South in Richmond. No-one was injured. The interstate was briefly shut down while Richmond Fire extinguished the vehicle fire. All operators and occupants were evaluated on scene by Richmond Rescue and Williston Rescue.

The investigation revealed that V#1 was traveling south on I89 when they lost control due to icy road conditions. V#1 collided with the guardrails and came to rest in the travel lane of the interstate. V#2 struck V#1 but did not sustain significant damage. V#2 was able to move off the interstate. V#3 also struck V#1 causing V#3 to catch on fire and became engulfed in flames.

Thursday morning, Vermont State Police responded to Interstate 91 North at mile marker 123 for a crash involving a commercial motor vehicle hauling two trailers in tandem. Investigation revealed the operator, Thomas Merrill, 57 of Lisbon, NH, lost control of the vehicle after crossing an ice covered bridge. The second trailer rolled onto its passenger side but remained connected to the first trailer and tractor unit. The passing lane of the Interstate remained closed for a period of time while the crash investigation was ongoing. The Interstate was closed briefly while the scene was cleaned up. Road conditions played a major contributing circumstance in the crash but speed was not a factor.

Photo Credit Vermont Agency of Transportation Facebook page.