FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
	PRESS RELEASE

TYPE OF INCIDENT:	Motor Vehicle Accident
OFFICER: 		Kachajian	
DATE OF INCIDENT:	04-21-06
TIME OF INCIDENT:	1528
LOCATION OF INCIDENT:	Lower Newton Road,
			St. Albans

NAME:		COTE, Janet
AGE:  		64
ADDRESS:	Waterbury, VT
IF ACCIDENT, VEHICLE YEAR & MODEL:
		2002, Dodge Caravan
DAMAGE (LOCATION, YEAR & MODEL):
		Extensive Front End Damage

NAME:		PATTERSON, Ricky
AGE: 		17
ADDRESS:	St. Albans, VT
IF ACCIDENT, VEHICLE YEAR & MODEL:
		1996, Toyota Corolla
DAMAGE (LOCATION, YEAR & MODEL):
		Extensive Front End Damage

INJURIES (NAME, NATURE OF INJURIES,
WHICH VEHICLE, WHERE PATIENT TAKEN):

#1: 	COTE: Chest & Arm, Vehicle #1, NMC
#2:	PATTERSON: Head & Hand, Vehicle #2, NMC
#3:	PATTERSON (Passenger): Chest Pain, Vehicle #2, NMC

SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:

On 042106 at approximately 1528 hours, Deputy
Kachajian was dispatched to the area of Lower Newton
Road near the correctional center in St. Albans for a report
of a two car motor vehicle accident with injuries and
possible entrapment. Upon arrival on scene with the St.
Albans Town Fire Department and AmCare Ambulance,
Deputy Kachajian observed both vehicles in the west
bound travel lane with extensive front end damage to both.
The operator of Vehicle #2, Mr. Patterson and his 10 year
old brother, were standing outside of their vehicle and
were visibly upset. The operator of Vehicle #1, Ms. Cote,
was still seated in her vehicle and was complaining of
chest and left arm pain. Ms. Cote also advised the deputy 
that she did not believe that she could get out of her car
and that she might be trapped. St. Albans Town Fire
Department and AmCare personnel later extricated Ms.
Cote from the car and later transported her to the hospital
for treatment. With the assistance of Capt. Sweeny of the
Franklin County Sheriff's Office, who arrived on scene to
assist with the accident investigation, Deputy Kachajian
was later able to determine that the accident was cause
due to a water bottle becoming lodged underneath the gas
pedal of Ms. Cote’s car after it fell off of her seat while she
was driving. When Ms. Cote was momentarily distracted,
she drove into traffic in the wrong travel lane and collided
with Mr. Patterson as he was coming up over a rise in the
roadway. Neither operator was issued a ticket as a result
of this accident. Also as a result of the crash, Ms. Cote’s
dog, which was traveling in the back of the van at the time
of her accident, sustained a broken back and spinal cord
damage. The dog was later transported by the Sheriff’s
Office to Tanneberger Animal Hospital in St. Albans for
treatment.