Updated 2:13 p.m. on October 12, 2016 with Steven Bourgoin’s current medical status.
Steven Bourgoin, the suspected wrong-way driver in the car crash that killed five teenagers, remains hospitalized but has been formally arrested and was in the custody of the Department of Corrections, Vermont State Police said.
That means a corrections officer is posted in his room at UVM Medical Center, said Det. Lt. Lance Burnham. Bourgoin’s medical status has been upgraded from critical to fair, a hospital spokesperson said. That means he is now conscious.
Burnham said state police served the arrest warrant at the behest of a judge.
An arraignment has yet to be set and will likely be arranged by the state’s attorney’s office, Burnham said. Bourgoin faces charges of grossly negligent operation of a vehicle — the police car — and aggravated operation without the owner’s consent. Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan said on Monday that Bourgoin’s bail has been set at $1 million.
Bourgoin was hospitalized early Sunday morning after stealing a police cruiser that responded to the fatal crash, which was caused by a pickup truck heading the wrong way on Interstate 89, police said.
Bourgoin, who police say is suspected to have been driving the truck, drove the cruiser south, then turned around after encountering a police car, and drove against traffic. He ultimately crashed at high speed into cars at the scene of the original crash. He was thrown from the vehicle. According to a police affidavit, he tried to escape as law enforcement officers apprehended him.
Donovan on Monday said that Bourgoin is also the primary suspect in an active homicide investigation into the deaths of the teenagers.
Patients are assigned one of four statuses: critical, serious, fair or good. Someone in critical condition has unstable vital signs and may be unconscious; the outlook for their recovery is unfavorable. Someone in fair condition has stable vital signs and is conscious; the outlook for recovery is favorable.
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This sort of accident/ death with the 5 teenage girl really get me angry. How could anyone be driving the wrong way one an interstate highway? I am very saddened for the parents of these 5 kids, to loose their lives at such a young age because of some idiot driving the wrong way. He should get 5 life jail sentences. That may sound harsh, but for what he did to the girls and their families is totally horrible.
I can not imagine what the families are going through.
So very sorry for your loss.
John Marble
You would think one life sentence should cover most people don’t ya think
The prisoner could get out early, on good
behavior. Then start on the next sentence.
First of all… There was only two young girls, the other three were young boys who were killed… Second, there is something clearly wrong with this guy,.. He is definitely mentally unstable and that needs to be addressed.. I am not in anyway condoning his actions…he should definitely be held accountable… But all the facts have to be presented and addresses… Don’t judge so harshly before having all the evidence… You didn’t even read the article enough to get that it was two girls and three boys who were killed…let alone get any other facts…
Babyfirefly. First of all…. the sex of these INNOCENT kids,is irrelevant. THEY (3 BOYS 2 GIRLS) ARE INNOCENT. Pointing out the 1st person’s comment – is Ridiculous, as is the rest of your comment. This sorry excuse of a human being is NOT ONLY a woman beater, but he has a lengthy record, maybe, he was running from a warrant WHO KNOWS? HOWEVER, HE DIDNT EVEN STOP AND HELP THOSE KIDS – HE JUMPED IN THE TROOPER’S CAR, CARING MORE ABOUT HIS LIFE, RATHER THAN THOSE INNOCENT VICTIMS. SO, TELL ME WHY- ANYONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT HIS? I DON’T KNOW IF VERMONT HAD THE DEATH PENALTY – IN THIS CASE, I HOPE HE IS A CANDIDATE AND GETS IT- IF NOT, LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE AND TO BE SERVED IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. BTW, I WONDER IF YOU KNOW OR ARE RELATED TO THIS EVIL P.O.S OR HAVE BEEN OR KNOW SOMEONE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION – VEHICULAR HOMICIDE, BECAUSE YOU SURE SOUND LIKE IT.