Norwich Town Manager’s Condition Unclear After Crash

Norwich — Town officials are keeping mum about the medical status of Town Manager Herb Durfee, who was seriously injured in a car crash last weekend, but say he’s not coming back to work anytime soon.

Durfee’s car collided with a Vermont Agency of Transportation plow truck as he attempted to pass the truck early Saturday morning on Interstate 89 in Colchester, Vt., according to a Vermont State Police news release. The 55-year-old Durfee, who lives in Grand Isle, Vt., was hospitalized with a collapsed lung, among other injuries, police said.

Selectboard Chairwoman Mary Layton and Planning and Zoning Director Phil Dechert, who is serving as acting town manager in Durfee’s absence, declined to comment on how Durfee’s recovery was coming, but indicated it may be some time before he is back on the job.

“You may surmise from the information that is already out there that the accident was serious and recovery will not be immediate,” Layton said in an email.