A New Jersey trucker who caused an April 2008 crash on Woodford Mountain that took the lives of three people was sentenced Friday to serve six months in prison. Kenneth Middlebusher, 44, appeared in Bennington District Courtand received a 1- to 10-year suspended sentence as part of a plea agreement. Middlebusher
MIddlebusher pleaded guilty on Oct. 27 to gross negligent operation of a motor vehicle with resulting fatality. Because it is a felony charge, Middlebusher will permanently lose his commercial license. He will also lose his privilege to drive a vehicle in Vermont for one year. On April 16, 2008, Middlebusher was driving a truck loaded with 8,000 pound rolls of paper heading west on Route 9. Middlebusher lost control of the vehicle while heading down a steep hill and traveled into the opposite lane, where he collided with two other vehicles.
Police said that drugs and alcohol were not factors. Expert
witnesses were unable to determine how much of a role Middlebusher’s
unsecured load played in the crash, police said. Accident reconstruction expert John Serth Jr. was called by the defense and said that based on his investigation, he believes that
Middlebusher applied his brakes, which caused him to skid. For more, see benningtonbannner.com.
