WAITSFIELD, Vt. (AP) — Vermont State Police say a driver accused of striking two motorcyclists said he looked away to light a cigarette before the crash.
Police say 23-year-old Daniel Nietupski, of Winooski, was driving north on Route 100 in Waitsfield Saturday morning when he looked down to light the cigarette. He crossed into oncoming traffic and car struck two motorcyclists.
Fifty-year-old Guy Gagnon, of Quebec, was airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center with severe leg injuries. Fifty-year-old Jean Lachoix, also of Quebec, was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening at Central Vermont Medical Center.
Police arrested Nietupski on a charge of grossly negligent operation. A hearing is scheduled for September. It wasn’t immediately known if Nietupski had a lawyer, and a phone number couldn’t be found for him.