BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The suspect in a wrong-way crash on an interstate highway that killed five Vermont teenagers has been found competent by a doctor to stand trial, said Chittenden County Deputy State’s Attorney Sarah George.
A judge ordered a doctor’s report on the competency of Steven Bourgoin following the October crash on Interstate 89 in Williston.
The judge must still rule on Bourgoin’s competency to stand trial, but his attorney Bob Katims on Wednesday told the Burlington Free Press (https://bfpne.ws/2hoMMcI ) he planned to agree with the finding at a hearing Friday.
Bourgoin, 36, of Williston, is facing five counts of second-degree murder and other charges. He is alleged to have caused a fatal crash Oct. 8 while driving his pickup truck the wrong way. Four Harwood Union High School students and a friend who attended Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire were killed.
Bourgoin was also charged with stealing a Williston police cruiser after the initial crash and hitting at least seven other vehicles, causing minor injuries.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison on each murder charge. He is being held without bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield.
Court documents say Bourgoin was facing foreclosure of his home and other financial difficulties, as well as legal proceedings for domestic issues and a custody dispute with his ex-girlfriend over their 2-year-old daughter.
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
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