NORTH HERO – Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito has added a felony count of involuntary manslaughter against a St. Albans woman charged with killing a Grand Isle motorcyclist and seriously injuring his father.

Ellen E. Willson, 38, of Federal Street may have been impaired, according to three new state police affidavits filed Wednesday as part of the never-ending investigation.

Willson had pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court to two felony charges: gross negligent operation of a motor vehicle with death resulting and gross negligent operation with serious bodily injury for the Father’s Day crash.

Now DiSabito said the ongoing investigation has generated new evidence that warrants an additional charge of involuntary manslaughter.

The Islander newspaper first reported the news story about adding the manslaughter charge.

One of the new police affidavits said a recently certified Drug Recognition Expert observed Willson at the Burlington hospital after the crash, but initially reported he did not believe she was impaired and was unable to demand a blood test.   

After later conferring with his DRE mentor about what he observed, the officer came to the conclusion she was impaired, state police said.

Willson, who had been taken to the state police barracks in St. Albans for processing, had been released from custody, State Trooper Seth Boudreau wrote.

Trooper Jordan Peterson, in a second affidavit, told Willson at the crash site as she was being treated that he was seizing her cellphone to determine if she had been using it at the time.

Peterson said he allowed Willson to retrieve a phone number from her cellphone in case she needed to make a call later, but noticed she scrolled down and deleted a message.  Peterson said at the risk of losing other evidence, he seized the phone.

The fatal crash generated considerable comments on social media accounts and Boudreau said one woman eventually wrote on the WCAX-TV Facebook page, “They should have taken a blood draw she was wasted when she asked me for a ride which I was unable to do.”

The veteran trooper said he tracked down the Facebook poster to a residence in Alburgh on Aug. 21 and confirmed her statement.  The woman said she had never met Willson before and she was asking for a ride, Boudreau wrote.

A second person, who did provide Willson a ride, said, based on his experience as a rescue squad member, he believed Willson was on drugs, Boudreau’s new affidavit said.

A manslaughter conviction carries a penalty between 1 and 15 years in prison and a $3,000 fine.

Vermont State Police have said Willson killed Hunter Rounds, 20, of Grand Isle in a head-on crash when her southbound truck crossed the double yellow line on U.S. 2 in North Hero near Savage Point Road on June 15.

Jason Rounds, 51, of Grand Isle, who was on a second motorcycle, was seriously injured in the 1:45 p.m. crash. He was taken to the UVM Medical Center in Burlington with multiple injuries, according to Boudreau, a member of the State Police Crash Reconstruction Team.

Jason Rounds underwent several surgeries and was eventually discharged, officials said.

DiSabito said the state is well within its rights to amend or add criminal charges as the case goes along in court.

Judge Navah C. Spero found probable cause on Wednesday for the filing of the new felony charge based on the state police affidavit, a court spokeswoman said.

Willson is now scheduled to be arraigned on the manslaughter charge on Oct. 9 when she is due back in criminal court for a status conference for the first two cases.

Spero released Willson on Aug. 14 on conditions, including a request by DiSabito that she not be allowed to operate any motor vehicle while the court case is pending.

Public Defender Rosie Chase argued her client thought she needed to drive due to her job and three children.

Spero agreed with DiSabito that it was more important for Vermont roads to be safe.

DiSabito had filed with the court other reports from the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department including a crash in which Willson went off the road near 1724 Main Street in Isle La Motte in May.

About three dozen supporters on behalf of the victims attended the brief arraignment. Many of them also stood outside the courthouse on U.S. 2 with signs of support, including large pictures of the victim with the words “Justice for Hunter.”

The two earlier charges, upon conviction, carry possible penalties of up to 15 years in prison, up to $15,000 fines or both, according to the charging documents filed by DiSabito.