COLCHESTER — Milton Police have identified the two people killed in a three-vehicle crash on U.S. 2 & 7 in Colchester on Friday evening.

Dead are: Kendall Lemay, 38, of Cadyville, N.Y., a driver, and Jacob Rivers, 41, of Plattsburgh, N.Y., a front seat passenger, police said.

Milton Police took over the crash investigation after officers learned that one of the other drivers is the former spouse of a veteran Colchester Police officer, authorities said.

The Vermont State Police Crash Reconstruction Team is providing its expertise in determining the cause of the accident.

Two vehicles were headed northbound near Coon Hill Road and the Lemay vehicle southbound when hit shortly after 6 p.m., police said.

Several people were found trapped in the wreckage, police said. Colchester and St. Michael’s College Fire Department personnel worked to free those that were trapped.

Five injured persons were eventually transported to the UVM Medical Center, where the two Clinton County, N.Y. residents died, police said.

Also injured were two juveniles, ages 14 and 15, that were passengers in the New York car, Milton Police said.

The two northbound drivers were identified as Mark Pomerantz, 39, of St. Albans and Pamela Dewey, 57, Essex Junction, police said.

Initial investigation showed Pomerantz appeared to have cross the centerline, police said.

Both northbound drivers were alone and Pomerantz was in the lead, police said.

Dewey’s former husband is employed by Colchester Police. Her car collided with the Lemay vehicle after the initial crash, police said.

Milton Police Chief Frank Scalise said his department is working with state police to determine the sequence of events. He said there were dry road conditions.

All three vehicles were impounded as part of the investigation, according to Scalise, who was among those at the scene, along with Colchester Police Chief Peter Hull.

Detective Sgt. Sam Noel is taking the lead for Milton Police.

Colchester and St. Michael’s Rescue squads also were at the scene and were assisted by ambulances from Milton, Essex and UVM.

Coon Hill Road is about a mile south of where U.S. 2 and 7 divide near the exit 17 interchange for Interstate 89.

The road was shutdown until about 11:40 p.m. as police investigated.