By Lisa Scagliotti, Waterbury Roundabout
On Tuesday afternoon, September 22, Harwood school officials and Vermont State Police shared news that the teenage driver involved in a one-car crash on Vermont Route 100 on Saturday in Warren has died from his injuries.
State police did not note the name of the juvenile driver from Waitsfield in their report of the crash that took place just before 1 p.m. on Saturday. But family members of 16-year-old Vinny Viola gave school officials permission on Monday to inform their school communities.
Viola was an 11th grader at Harwood Union High School and also was attending Central Vermont Career Center in its electrical technology program.
“We are heartbroken to share that Vinny Viola died this morning from injuries sustained in the car accident over the weekend,” Harwood Superintendent Mike Leichliter and school Principal Megan McDonough wrote in a Tuesday message to students, staff and parents. “This is a profound loss for Vinny’s family, friends, classmates, teachers, and our entire community.”
The school leaders repeated information they shared on Monday, listing names and contact information for school counselors and encouraging students and staff to lean on those resources. Additional support would also be made available through community mental health agencies, including Washington County Mental Health Services, the school leaders noted.
Meanwhile, state police are asking the public for any information that might assist with the investigation of the crash.
In an account released on Saturday, Trooper Ryan Normile reported that the investigation had determined that Viola’s Volkswagen Tiguan went off the southbound side of Route 100 in Warren and overturned after traveling about 300 feet. On Tuesday, Normile confirmed that the crash site was near Charlie Ashley Road. Viola was airlifted to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, police said.
On Monday morning, school officials at both Harwood and Central Vermont Career Center shared the news of the accident with students and staff. On Tuesday, they shared the additional tragic news that Viola had succumbed to his injuries. They also advised parents to communicate with their students about the tragedy.
“Everyone experiences grief differently. Students may feel shocked, sad, confused, angry, numb, or uncertain about how they feel,” the school leaders wrote. “There is no right or wrong way to respond to a loss. Students do not need a specific reason to seek help; if they are having a difficult time, that is reason enough.”
The high school and career center will continue with their usual routines this week, school officials noted. “Routines can provide comfort during tragic circumstances, but we also recognize that some students and staff will need additional time and support,” they said.
Plans are being made for a funeral service this Saturday, Sept. 26, at Our Lady of the Snows church in Waitsfield at 11 a.m., the school announcement said. Further details will be shared as they are available, along with ways to support the family.
The school leaders additionally on Tuesday called for the school community to be supportive of each other. “We ask everyone to respect Vinny and his family by avoiding rumors and speculation, particularly on social media. Please be gentle with one another and attentive to anyone who may be struggling with this information,” they said. “At last year’s commencement, our student speakers reminded us that ‘kindness is the heartbeat of our community.’ In the face of this loss, may that kindness guide us as we make space for grief and carry one another through the difficult days ahead.”
This loss comes as the Harwood community will soon mark 10 years since a major highway tragedy. On Oct. 8, 2016, five teenagers from Waterbury and the Mad River Valley lost their lives in a crash on Interstate 89 in Williston caused by a wrong-way driver.