PLAINFIELD — Last July, a Plainfield town employee was left seriously injured, having been struck by a vehicle while operating a backhoe. Local officials have since expressed their displeasure with the outcome of the incident. In a letter addressed to Commissioner Jennifer Morrison of the Department of Public Safety, the town asked state officials to look into the matter further, stating the state police response was “woefully inadequate.”
According to the Times Argus, Bryant Hallock, 48, of Orange, has been charged in Washington County criminal court in Barre with a misdemeanor count of negligent vehicle operation with serious injury resulting. Hallock had also been charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury resulting, but a judge did not find probable cause to support that charge at Hallock’s arraignment in July.
At a hearing held last month, the parties reported Hallock is expected to enter a plea of no contest to the misdemeanor charge, and he would receive a fine and his driver’s license would be suspended. According to court records, the plea will be submitted by waiver, meaning it is a matter of paperwork and Hallock will not go through a change of plea hearing. The case was still active and pending as of last Wednesday.
In his affidavit, Trooper Dalton Maenpaa of the Vermont State Police said a crash was reported in Plainfield on July 16, and one of the participants had left the scene. The trooper said the victim was taken to Central Vermont Medical Center for treatment and was diagnosed with compression fractures in three of his vertebrae. He noted the victim was unable to work due to the injuries sustained in the accident.
Last month Bram Towbin, Plainfield’s town clerk, reached out to Washington County State’s Attorney Michelle Donnelly, to inquire about the criminal case. Towbin was reportedly on the phone with the victim shortly after the crash occurred. Having read the plea agreement and Maenpaa’s affidavit, Towbin then sent the prosecutor an email detailing his complaints about the outcome of the case and information in the affidavit.
Donnelly responded, saying “there were some evidentiary shortcomings in the investigation.” Those shortcomings led to the state’s resolution with Hallock, according to Donnelly. The prosecutor also noted that Maenpaa was freshly off field training and the only available trooper to respond at that time. “The state’s attorney’s office does not have its own investigators,” Donnelly wrote. “We have to prosecute cases with the evidence we have at the time the case is filed. In this case, with the evidence we had, the resolution was a reasonable outcome. I understand that the outcome does not feel as if it is commensurate with the serious injuries (the victim) suffered. However, our outcomes can only be based on the provable conduct of the defendant.”
Towbin presented the letter to the select board at the March 24 regular meeting, which was met with unanimous approval after some discussion. The letter, signed by select board Chair Karl Bissex, details the impact the accident had on the town employee and more.
“Commissioner Morrison, This summer an incident occurred which has had a lasting impact on our community. Unfortunately the state police response was woefully inadequate. The result of the law enforcement investigation speaks for itself. The perpetrator most likely committed several serious offenses: fleeing the scene of an accident, driving without a license, driving under the influence, obstructing an investigation, lying to police, and hiding evidence. Despite being immediately identified by the victim and directed to an address, no action was taken for a week. The perpetrator ended up being sanctioned with a $100 fine and a one month suspension of his driver’s license. The outcome for our town employee was very different.
He suffered life-changing injuries which has permanently impacted his ability to work and provide for his young family. He recently lost his vehicle as this injury made it impossible to make his payments. This tragedy is compounded by a huge cost to Plainfield taxpayers: tens of thousands of dollars in equipment damage, a valuable employee sidelined indefinitely and hours of town employees filing paperwork.
“We understand police officers face an extremely difficult job and it is known there are many staffing challenges in law enforcement and the state police in particular. However we also believe that, given the gravity of the work, catastrophic errors need to be addressed appropriately. We want your office to conduct an investigation of this incident. If the review shows grievous errors, sanction those responsible and publish the results of the inquiry. It is corrosive to the community’s trust in the rule of law when a valued member of the Town of Plainfield does not get justice for the harm that has been done to him. We look forward to hearing updates on the investigation of this case, please let us know if there is additional information you need from Town staff to assist you.”
The town has yet to receive a response, as of Monday.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
