Five Vermont teenagers were killed after a man driving the wrong way on a highway crashed into them, then stole a police cruiser, and crashed into seven other vehicles.
The victims were identified as Eli Brookens, of Waterbury, Liam Hale, of Fayston, Janie Cozzi, of Fayston, Mary Harris, of Moretown and Cyrus Zschau, also of Moretown, The Daily Mail reported.
All were high school juniors. Four attended Harwood Union High School in Moretown and one went to another school.
Steven Bourgoin, 36, was traveling northbound on the southbound lane of Interstate 89 at around 11.45pm on Saturday night when he hit a Volkswagen Jetta, police said.
The suspect’s Toyota Tundra burst into flames after the first crash, Vermont State Police said.
Vermont State Police Captain Mike Henry said the car Bourgoin hit carried the group of teenagers, the Burlington Free Press reports.
Williston Police said Bourgoin left his truck and stole a police officer’s cruiser while the officer rescued a girl from the burning car and tried to put out the flames.
He fled south towards Richmond traveling at a high rate of speed with the siren on when Richmond Police started to go after him.
The suspect made a U-turn to escape police and headed north in the southbound lane, crashing into seven vehicles and hitting one of them twice, police said.
The force of the crash ejected Bourgoin from the car and the car burst into flames shortly thereafter.
Bourgoin was taken into police custody and transported to University of Vermont Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
Police are investigating the crash.
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