A Williston, Vt., man is facing murder charges for a wrong-way crash on Interstate 89 that killed five central Vermont teenagers last weekend.
Steven Bourgoin, 36, will be arraigned at 10 a.m. today on five counts of second-degree murder, Chittenden County State’s Attorney TJ Donovan announced on Thursday.
Second-degree murder carries a penalty of up to life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years.
Bourgoin allegedly was driving a Toyota Tacoma north in the southbound lane of the interstate on Saturday night when he collided with a car carrying five teenagers, according to court papers filed earlier this week.
The fiery crash killed all five people in the car: Eli Brookens, 16, of Waterbury, Vt.; Liam Hale, 16, and Janie Cozzi, 15, both of Fayston, Vt.; and Mary Harris, 16, and Cyrus Zschau, 16, both of Moretown, Vt. Four of the students attended Harwood Union High School in Duxbury. Cozzi was a sophomore at Kimball Union Academy.
When a Williston police officer responded to the crash, Bourgoin allegedly stole the officer’s cruiser and started driving south. He eventually turned around and crashed the cruiser back into the original crash scene, damaging seven other vehicles and injuring four others.
The arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the University of Vermont Medical Center, where Bourgoin continues to be treated.
Initially he was in critical condition, but a hospital spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that his condition had been upgraded to “good.”
That means he is conscious, comfortable and has stable vital signs.
Chittenden County prosecutors on Monday filed charges against Bourgoin of misdemeanor gross negligence and felony operation of a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. He remained the focus of the homicide investigation.
“The state police worked extremely hard and conducted a thorough investigation,” Donovan said.