Mountain Times Volume 49, Number 13: March 25-31, 2020

2 • LOCAL NEWS
The Mountain Times • March 25-31, 2020
thebus.com
802.773.3244
MVRTV
PRESS RELEASE - FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 23, 2020
Rutland, VT – Due to the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic,
please see below for changes in service effective Tuesday,
March 24, 2020.
Commuter Routes
Fair Haven Route: 5:30am and 3:30pm running. Monday through Sunday. All
other runs suspended.
Fair Haven Expansion: 7:40pm running. No weekend service. All other runs
suspended.
Ludlow Route: 7:00am and 4:00pm running. No weekend service. All other
runs suspended.
Manchester Route: 6:30am and 3:00pm running. Monday through Saturday.
All other runs suspended.
Middlebury Connector: 5:30am and 4:15pm running. No weekend service. All
other runs suspended.
Proctor Route: 8:00am and 4:30pm running. Monday through Friday. All other
runs suspended.
City Fixed Routes
North Route: Beginning at 8:30am and will run hourly. The last run of the day
will leave the Transit Center at 4:30pm. All city fixed will be shutting down from
12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
South Route: Beginning at 8:00am and will run hourly. The last run of the day
will leave the Transit Center at 4:00pm. All city fixed will be shutting down from
12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
Hospital Route: Beginning at 8:00am and will run every half hour. The last run
of the day will leave Transit Center at 4:30pm. All city fixed will be shutting
down from 12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
West Route: Beginning at 8:30am and will run hourly. The last run of the day
will leave the Transit Center at 4:30pm. All city fixed will be shutting down from
12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
South Extension: Beginning at 8:00am and will run hourly. The last run of the
day will leave the Transit Center at 4:00pm. All city fixed will be shutting down
from 12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
Rutland Killington Commuter: 9:15am, 11:15am, 3:15pm and 5:15pm running.
All other runs suspended. Monday through Sunday.
Transit Center:
Due to being fare free and no
need to purchase passes, the
gate will be closed and there
will not be any staff available.
If you have any questions,
please call 773-3244 ext. 117.
Courtesy of Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department
One tractor trailer hit another head-on at the intersection of Routes 4 and 100 in Bridgewater
on Monday evening. The Bridgewater store was significantly damaged.
Tractor trailer slams
Bridgewater store
By Katy Savage
The Bridgewater Corners Country
Store was forced to close Monday,
March 23, after a tractor trailer slid off
the road in a snowstorm and struck the
building, causing substantial damage.
Bridgewater Fire Chief Ed Earle
said the trailer, carrying U.S. mail, was
heading west on Route 4 toward Woodstock
when the driver, Henry Davis,
38, from Cleveland, Ohio, tried to slow
down for a car that was turning at the
intersection of Routes 4 and 100. Davis
then hit another tractor trailer truck
head-on driven by Wesley Wheeler, 63,
from Brandon.
According to the police report filed,
“Investigation of the crash
showed that Davis’s tractor
trailer unit traveled left of
center and stuck Wheeler’s
tractor trailer unit. After being
struck, Wheeler’s unit struck
the Bridgewater Corner Store
causing damage to the store
front. Wheeler’s unit then
struck two parked vehicles which had
no occupants at the time.”
Police reported that there were no
injuries in the accident. Substantial
snow had fallen at the time of the accident
with, upwards of 8 inches expected.
The owners of the pick-up truck,
who live in Bridgewater, and the SUV,
which had New York license plates,
were both in the store at the time of the
accident around 5 p.m. Monday.
The roadway was temporarily
reduced to one lane as a result of this
crash and was re-opened to two lanes
at 8 p.m.
“He couldn’t slow down,” Earle said.
“There’s some pretty substantial damage
to the roof.”
Earle said a fire marshal ordered the
store to close until a structural engineer
could look at it.
The truck and vehicles were cleared
from the area around 9 p.m., but Earle
was still waiting for a hazmat team
from Colchester to arrive late Monday.
“There was a lot of leaked diesel
fuel,” he said.
The historic Bridgewater Corners
Country Store building dates back to
the 1800s. It’s long been an iconic part
of town. It was the site of the town’s first
post office and it’s become known for
its deli sandwiches.
“It shook the whole store,” said store
“It shook the whole store,” said
store manager Irfan Aris, who
was inside when the truck hit.
“Everyone freaked out.”
manager Irfan Aris, who was inside
when the truck hit. “Everyone freaked
out.”
Aris said people inside screamed as
Aris ran outside to the truck driver and
then called 911.
“People were obviously in shock,”
Aris siad.
Aris said a corner of the deck attached
to the store and two pillars at
the entrance were destroyed, but the
rest of the store was intact.
Aris wasn’t sure on Monday evening
when he would be able to reopen the
store. He also wasn’t sure how much the
damages would cost.
“I’m trying to figure that out,” he
said.