Sen. Debbie Ingram Credit: Williston Police

Updated at 10:20 a.m.

State Sen. Debbie Ingram (D-Chittenden) was arrested Thursday night and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after allegedly steering her car into a ditch, Williston police said.

Around 8 p.m., Williston police responded to a crash on South Road. Police said that Ingram, an ordained minister and a freshman senator, had gone off the road, struck a “fixed object,” continued on and then veered off the road again.

She was cited to appear in Chittenden Superior Court on November 2 on a charge of driving under the influence.

Ingram released a statement Friday morning through her attorney, Ted Kenney:

Last night I was arrested near my home in Williston and charged with a DUI. I
am grateful that no one was injured as a result of my irresponsible behavior. I
suffer from a disease for which I have been getting treatment through a 12-Step
program. I had a temporary setback last night and will continue to seek treatment to ensure that something like this never happens again. I accept full responsibility for the consequences of my actions. 

Ingram, 55, a Democrat who first won election to the state Senate in 2016, is the executive director of Vermont Interfaith Action, a nonprofit alliance of religious groups. She previously served on the Williston Selectboard.

Sen. Debbie Ingram speaking in favor of raising the legal smoking age to 21 Credit: File: Terri Hallenbeck

She lives on South Road in Williston, according to publicly available records. Earlier this year, she pushed for a failed bill that would have raised the legal smoking age from 18 to 21.

Ingram is a graduate of Stanford University and Fuller Theological Seminary, and completed a fellowship at Cambridge University in England, according to her legislative biography.

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Mark Davis was a Seven Days staff writer 2013-2018.

16 replies on “State Sen. Debbie Ingram Arrested for DUI in Williston”

  1. Stunning how many people are willing to come to the defense to a drunk who put others’ lives at risk…are we serious about drunk driving or not?

  2. I really like and I support Debbie Ingram. I was quite pleased that she was elected last fall after coming in 7th (where the top six vote getters are elected) in previous runs. Of course this is disappointing. It is a personal failure but it is not any kind of abuse of power. In fact, it appears to be exactly the opposite. She has immediately taken responsibility and she’s gonna have to pay the piper.

    Debbie Ingram, from as little as I know her, has a heart of gold and a compassion for the disadvantaged among us. I certainly want to see her continue in the Vermont Senate to where we, the voters in the Chittenden Senate District, elected her.

    Debbie, take your lumps, pay your fines, do what they make you do, take a beating with insurance rates, get through this and come out better (and wiser, perhaps) than going in. We’re still behind you. (I’m just glad I don’t have to pay the fines and consequential costs.)

    And, of course, next time call a friend with a car or call a cab.

  3. Police said that Ingram, an ordained minister and a freshman senator, had gone off the road, struck a “fixed object,” continued on and then veered off the road again”; she then lost control of the car.

  4. While Citizen,s comments are snarky and mean let’s not make Ingram a saint . She displayed neither courage nor responsibility . She got caught drunk driving ! This doesn’t make her an evil person but let’s not canonize her either .

  5. Get off your high horse Citizen–as if you are a perfect “conservative” or Republican. Nobody is perfect whether they have a D next to his or her name or not. Comments such as yours just reveal your idiocy and poorly educated short-sighted, narrow-minded world view. Grow up.

  6. The D next to her name stands for drunk. Great leaders the dems have representing them. What a loser.

  7. Debbie Ingram is a good woman who helps many people. She is a human being with a powerful disease. In her statement, Debbie takes responsibility for her behavior and for her treatment. I admire her honesty.

  8. Anyone can relapse and make a mistake. The disease of addiction is so insidious. May Ingram use this as an opportunity to recommit to her recovery and find new support.

  9. zebnorris, you aren’t worth listening to on the radio or in print. Funny that.

    Debbie, good luck getting help. It takes courage to face our flaws, even more so to do it with the full scrutiny of the public. You have my vote and my support.

Comments are closed.